Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The news of the successful production of the first batch of "Spark Steel" in the steelmaking workshop spread like wildfire throughout Spark Fortress. When Wang Jian and Old Blacksmith Hu personally carried the steel billets, still warm from forging and shimmering with a unique dark blue luster, into the fortress and presented them to everyone on the rough wooden table in the council hall, the eyes of all the core members lit up.

Chen Wei extended his calloused fingers and gently flicked the edge of one of the steel billets. A deep, clear hum resounded, distinct from the muffled sound of wrought iron or the hoarse sound of pig iron. He then picked up an old, chipped ring-pommel sword and lightly scratched it with the edge of the billet. A clear dent immediately appeared on the old sword, while the edge of the billet only showed a slight whitening.

"Excellent steel!" Chen Wei exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. "The texture is uniform, and the hardness and toughness are both superb! It may not be as good as the old steel from our elite troops, but it is definitely superior to the standard-issue swords of the regular government army, not to mention the junk from those barbarians! If we use this to forge weapons, the combat effectiveness of my infantry battalion can be increased by at least 30%!"

Murong Mingyue also picked up a smaller steel billet, carefully examining its fracture and texture. "Its color is bluish-gray, fine and even, indeed top-quality wrought iron... no, steel." She switched to the Chinese term, her tone filled with amazement, "If arrowheads could be forged from this, their armor-piercing power would be far superior to bone and stone. If a cavalry saber were made with this steel, it would have been as easy as cleaving through chainmail and leather armor."

Although Zhao Tiezhu knew nothing about weapons, he grinned and said, "Good stuff! Good stuff! It'll definitely be durable for making farm tools! But... how many of these are there?"

This was also the issue everyone was most concerned about. Wang Jian quickly reported: "Reporting to the Fortress Master and everyone, this trial only yielded about thirty catties of steel billets. The furnace is still small, the process is in its early stages, and the scrap rate is still high. However, now that we have grasped the basics, Master Hu and his team are confident in improving the furnace design, adjusting the temperature, and refining techniques. If the supply of raw materials and charcoal is sufficient, and the craftsmen become skilled, it should be possible to produce a stable output of two to three hundred catties of this type of steel per month. If a larger furnace could be built..."

Two or three hundred catties per month! It may not sound like much, but for a fledgling fortified village, it is an astonishing strategic resource! You should know that in this era, many soldiers in the prefectures and kingdoms only used weapons made of wrought iron and steel. Pure steel weapons were mostly used by officers or private soldiers of powerful families with a long history.

Suppressing his excitement, Chen Xing said in a deep voice, "Two to three hundred catties a month is enough! Wang Jian, the steelmaking workshop should be the top priority; ensure the necessary manpower and materials are guaranteed! Master Hu, Guo San, and all the craftsmen have made tremendous contributions this time! In addition to the previously promised generous rewards, all craftsmen in the steelmaking workshop will have their monthly allowances increased by 30%! I hope everyone will strive for excellence, stabilize production as soon as possible, and find ways to improve the yield rate!"

The artisans were overjoyed and repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

"Next," Chen Xing's gaze swept over Chen Wei and Murong Mingyue, "is how to transform this fine steel into sharp weapons in the hands of my Starfire Camp soldiers and sturdy armor on their bodies!"

With the new task assigned, the entire craft camp sprang into action like a tightly wound machine.

Inside the blacksmith's workshop, the furnace fire burned day and night. Led by Old Master Hu, several top blacksmiths put aside their daily repair work and began to specialize in researching how to forge weapons using the newly acquired "Spark Steel".

The first prototype was a ring-pommel sword. Its design was based on the standard Han army style, but with several minor adjustments suggested by Chen Xing based on his knowledge of modern mechanics: the blade was slightly lengthened to increase its slashing power; the spine was thickened to the front two-thirds of the blade, then gradually transitioned to a thin edge to enhance slashing strength while maintaining sharpness; the handle's grip curvature was optimized to suit common hand shapes; and most importantly, a composite process of "laminated steel" and partial "clay tempering" was adopted—a solution that Chen Xing derived through repeated experiments based on fragments of systematic knowledge and the experience of blacksmiths like Hu.

Using "Spark Steel" as the core of the blade, with finely forged wrought iron wrapped on both sides, the process involves repeated folding and forging to ensure the hardness and retention of the blade edge, while the toughness of the wrought iron increases the overall impact resistance of the blade, making it less prone to breakage. The blade edge is coated with a special clay before quenching. During quenching, the edge cools quickly, resulting in extremely high hardness; the back of the blade cools slowly, resulting in good toughness. This process demands extremely high levels of skill in controlling the heat and the craftsman's experience, with a significant failure rate, but once successful, it results in a qualitative leap in the sword's performance.

When the first test knife came out of the forge, everyone in the blacksmith's workshop gathered around. The blade was long and slender with smooth lines. After careful grinding, the edge showed a dark bluish luster, slightly different in color from the rest of the blade. This was the "hazaki" formed by clay tempering. Old blacksmith Hu personally tested the knife.

First, test the hardness. Chop it with an old iron knife. With a "clang", the old iron knife's edge chipped open with a noticeable nick, while the test blade only left a very fine white mark.

Next, test its resilience. Bend the blade at nearly 30 degrees, and when you release it, it springs back straight as before, without any deformation.

Finally, he tested its sharpness. He lightly sliced ​​the thick hemp rope hanging there with a knife, and the rope snapped instantly. Then he took a piece of leather armor of decent quality that he had seized from the Hu people, and with a mighty swing of the knife, he cleanly and neatly cut a gash about a foot long in the leather armor with a "swoosh," almost piercing through it!

"What a fine knife!" A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd. Old blacksmith Hu held the new knife, the culmination of his life's work, his hands trembling slightly, tears streaming down his face. This was perhaps the best knife he had ever forged in his life!

Upon hearing the news, Chen Xing rushed over and, after personally testing the blade, was full of praise. "This blade is suitable as the personal weapon of infantry officers and elite platoon leaders! Name it 'Armor-Piercing Type I'! All those involved in its creation will be richly rewarded! Master Hu, the method of making this blade must be meticulously recorded, standardized, and taught to loyal and reliable craftsmen before small-batch production begins!"

Following the success of the "Armor-Piercing Type 1" sword, the development of other weapons quickly followed. The spearheads were redesigned to be made entirely of steel, with a shape more conducive to piercing, and a replaceable sleeve structure was designed for quick replacement of damaged spearheads in battle. Trial production of the triangular armor-piercing cone arrowheads urgently needed by the crossbow units also began. Although small in size, difficult to forge, and with a high scrap rate, the material advantages of "Spark Steel" and the craftsmen's patient research gradually led to finished products, and the results of their penetration tests were encouraging.

The cavalry equipment that Murong Mingyue was most concerned about was also being developed simultaneously. Besides forging lighter and sharper sabers for the mounted archers, the most important improvements were to arrowheads and horse tack. The newly made all-steel triangular arrowheads were lighter, more stable in flight, and had far superior armor-piercing capabilities compared to the old bone arrowheads. Key parts of the horse tack, such as stirrups, bits, and saddle bridge connectors, were also being reinforced or replaced with steel. Although the amount used was small, it greatly improved the cavalry's horse control and combat endurance.

Meanwhile, the leather armor workshop was also busy. Under Wang Jian's coordination, the blacksmith workshop produced the first batch of steel armor plates—mainly palm-sized rectangular or fish-scale-shaped plates with perforated edges. The leather craftsmen used tanned thick cowhide as a base, and strung these steel plates together with sturdy leather ropes and riveted them to key areas such as the chest, abdomen, vest, and shoulders, creating the first batch of "iron-inlaid leather armor." Although the coverage area was limited and far from comparable to real iron armor, its protective power was significantly stronger than simple leather armor or leather armor inlaid with bone plates or scrap iron plates, while the weight increase was not significant.

When the first batch of twenty "Armor-Piercing Type 1" swords, fifty new spearheads, five hundred triangular steel arrowheads, and thirty pieces of iron-inlaid leather armor were neatly arranged on the reviewing stand in the drill ground, all the soldiers of the Xinghuo Battalion who had rushed over upon hearing the news stared in disbelief.

Under the sunlight, the new swords gleamed coldly, the new spearheads were sharp and menacing, the steel arrowheads sparkled with cold stars, and the steel plates on the iron-inlaid armor reflected a hard, metallic sheen. A chilling yet sophisticated aura emanated from them.

Standing on the platform, Chen Xing proclaimed in a loud voice, "Fellow soldiers! This is the first batch of new equipment painstakingly crafted by the Starfire Fortress's artisan battalion using 'Starfire Steel,' refined with a new method! They are sharper, stronger, and better able to protect us in our battles and achievements!"

He picked up a Type 1 Armor-Piercing Knife and raised it high: "From this day forward, all newly manufactured equipment will be prioritized for distribution to the most diligent, meritorious, and courageous soldiers in each battalion! Rewards will be given based on merit records and officer recommendations, and equipment will be issued in order of merit! I hope you will train diligently, strive to be the best, and soon wield this sharp blade and don this strong armor, to carve out a bright future for our Starfire Fortress!"

"Starfire Fortress! Victory!" Below the stage, led by Chen Wei and Murong Mingyue, all the soldiers were filled with fervor, raising their still-old weapons and shouting in unison, the sound waves soaring into the sky.

In the days that followed, the allocation of new equipment became the most effective incentive. Every small competition, every drill, and even daily training performance could affect merit points and the officer's evaluation, thus determining who would be the first to receive those coveted new swords and armor. On the drill ground, training became even more intense; in the barracks, maintaining weapons and armor became a must-do before bed for everyone; even the cavalry of the Murong tribe at the West Slope camp, tempted by the new arrowheads and horse tack, trained even harder and became increasingly proactive in coordinated drills with the infantry.

Chen Xing specially commissioned the blacksmith to forge several "Armor-Piercing Type I" sabers with Murong tribe-style decorations, which he personally presented to Murong Mingyue, Helan Sou, and several other elders. When Murong Mingyue received the heavy yet comfortable new saber, its blade humming softly in its sheath, her eyes gleamed with admiration, and she solemnly clasped her hands in gratitude. These were not merely a few sabers, but a symbol of recognition and integration.

The equipment upgrade was like injecting a powerful, steely spirit into the newly reformed Xinghuo Battalion. The soldiers, wielding new blades and donning new armor, possessed a morale and confidence that were vastly different from before. They began to truly believe that they commanded an elite force capable of confronting any enemy head-on.

Of course, Chen Xing was also aware that this production volume was still a drop in the ocean for an army of several hundred men. The vast majority of soldiers were still using old equipment. But this was a beginning, a clear and upward signal. It told everyone that Starfire Fortress was moving forward, growing stronger, and had the ability to make its followers even stronger.

Outside the fortress walls, the summer fields were lush and vibrant. Inside, the furnaces roared, hammers clanged, and an army armed to the teeth was honing its skills. An invisible pressure began to spread quietly from Starfire Fortress outwards.

The Black Mountain Army scouts at Woniugang have recently begun to report frequent messages such as "The craftsmen at Xinghuo Fort are making a ruckus, seemingly forging weapons" and "Their soldiers are training harder, and their armor and swords appear to be newer." Although the reports are vague, an uneasy premonition, like the sweltering heat before a summer thunderstorm, has quietly enveloped the hearts of the enemy.

The spark for equipment upgrades has been ignited. Now, it's time to let it spread like wildfire, and to use the first whetstone to test the sharpness of this new blade.