Collapse Iron: The Five Heroes of the Clouds Won't Let Me Go

"Even if the Pill Refining Department has countless medicinal stones, she can only live for a hundred years at most."

"But a hundred years is but a fleeting moment for us celestial beings on the Immortal Ship! What good is talent if we are born in a hundred years? We will be nothing but a handful of dust in the future."

"So, nobody's worried that she poses any threat."

Cheng Xiao was now certain that this girl was Ying Xing!

As expected, Yingxing ultimately failed to maintain her composure.

But Cheng Xiao never expected that Ying Xing would be in such a predicament.

"Even if she lived for hundreds of years, she could still create many masterpieces. Doesn't any of you want to surpass her?"

A hint of shame flashed across the young craftsman's face.

"This...it's alright. General Huaiyan said we should accept our precarious existence in this corner of the world. Our talents are not inferior either. Even if we can't compare to her, hundreds of years of experience combined with a bit of luck can still produce a priceless treasure!"

"Only by living can we pass on our fame. Even after this genius dies, we will still be the most outstanding craftsmen on the Immortal Ship! In a few hundred years, she may have been forgotten long ago, hahaha."

Cheng Xiao sighed, "No wonder General Huaiyan scolded you for being so unambitious. You've even lost the will to compete; how can you possibly forge a masterpiece? Doesn't any of you want to challenge her?"

The young craftsman's face immediately lit up with excitement: "Of course! That's why we have you!"

Cheng Xiao: "?"

"Mr. Cheng Xiao, there's no need to underestimate yourself! Your talent is equally recognized, and if it were you, you could certainly forge an even more outstanding work! We may not be able to win, but Mr. Cheng Xiao, you can represent the Celestials of the Immortal Ship and defeat her!"

"That way, no one will say we got to where we are by living forever; we also have exceptionally talented craftsmen!"

Cheng Xiao couldn't help but scoff at the ideas held by Zhu Ming's craftsmen.

"If even the fighting spirit is lost, the difference in talent becomes irrelevant, because the game was already lost from the very beginning."

However, Cheng Xiao's sarcasm could not change anything; the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty collectively had a "give up" mentality.

When Huaiyan was told about this, even the gentle general was furious.

"These bastards! They have no ambition whatsoever! How are we supposed to forge better weapons for the battlefield?"

"They stop at every high mountain and refuse to cross every ravine, only wanting to wait for the world to change slowly. It really infuriates me!"

Cheng Xiao quickly tried to comfort Huai Yan, as General Zhu Yuan could be incredibly violent when he got angry.

"Hoo~ Cheng Xiao, remember this: you have talent, but it's just innate superhuman strength. In terms of technique, there are many who can rival you."

"You need to show those unambitious fools how hard work can overcome the mountain of talent!"

Cheng Xiaoli felt immense pressure: "General, I can't do it. Your talented disciple... is both gifted and hardworking."

"If I say you can do it, then you can! If you can't beat my apprentice, don't bother coming back!"

"No!!!"

However, Huaiyan also felt that it was not good for his beloved disciple to be isolated all the time. Mental health is very important. He wanted to change it but was powerless to do so. But Chengxiao had actually had contact with her. Maybe the two of them could become friends.

"My disciple is named Yingxing. She is indeed a bit eccentric. Since you have had some interaction with her, I will give you another task."

"Um, General, please speak."

"Yingxing hardly ever smiles, and this little girl has an air of melancholy about her, which is really not good. I hope you can become friends with her and help her resolve her inner conflicts."

"Well... General, you know I'm very busy. I have to learn this and that..."

"Enough with the nonsense! I'll personally forge you a sword after this is done!"

"Well, you know, I really have limited energy..."

"Damn it! I'll make one for Jingliu too!"

"General Xie! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

......

Carrying Huaiyan's mission, Cheng Xiao arrived at the forging workshop of the Crafts Bureau.

The fact that Yingxing has his own private forging room shows Huaiyan's affection for him, which means that he truly regards Yingxing as his disciple to inherit his mantle.

I knocked on the door, but there was no response.

I knocked again, but there was still no response.

Aha's laughter echoed in my mind: "Just make her laugh, right? Little Ha has a way~ Little Ha can make anyone laugh~ Need help?"

"Need not."

"Waaah, why? I don't need any payment~"

"I don't want laughter that isn't genuine."

Little Ha: "..."

[Hahaha, this is so interesting, so interesting! Cheng Xiao~ I'm even more interested in you now~]

Cheng Xiao didn't hear those words, but he couldn't help but shiver, as if Ah Ha was crawling all over him.

Without thinking much of it, he noticed that the door to the forge was unlocked.

"Excuse me."

Cheng Xiao pushed open the door and entered, immediately spotting the familiar girl.

The girl was staring intently at the fire, unmoved by any external disturbance.

Without being disturbed, Cheng Xiao sat quietly to the side and waited.

Only when the flames turned blue did the girl use iron tongs to remove the steel billet and place it in water to cool and shape it.

Only then did the girl notice Cheng Xiao.

"How...how did you get in?"

The girl was a little scared and even covered her chest with her hands.

"Don't make me sound like some kind of burglar. I already told them. Remember to lock the door next time!"

"Um...sorry, I didn't hear you. Is there something you need?"

The girl remained somewhat wary, like a small animal arriving in an unfamiliar environment.

"Well, your master plans to have a match between you and me in half a month, so I've come to learn from you."

"Master? I see... Wait, wait a minute! You want to learn from me?"

The girl was a little confused. A competition? To find an opponent to learn from? How did these two things come together in one sentence?

"Yes! Because you're so amazing. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory, so I've come to learn from you and use your skills to defeat you. Do you dare to teach me?"

"I... I can't teach well."

"They said I'm just a grasshopper in autumn, I won't last long, you don't need to look for me."

At this moment, Cheng Xiao suddenly realized that the girl in front of him did not seem to be aloof or withdrawn, but rather had a deep sense of inferiority.

Feeling inferior about their short lives and their fleeting fate.

Why did God take away her unparalleled talent so quickly?

Cheng Xiao saw her fear; she was afraid that she would not be able to create a masterpiece in her short life, thus failing her master's cultivation and letting those who mocked her get what they wanted.

"What are you saying?! Do you even know what you're thinking?"

Cheng Xiao pressed down on the girl's shoulder, causing her to shrink back in fear and avoid looking directly at him.

"Cheer up! Countless people outside are jealous of your talent, but they also want to see you fail! You can't let these mediocre people who are just giving up look down on you!"

"I... I can't do it."

"What's wrong with that? Your work in just three short years has made them feel ashamed of themselves. Isn't that enough?!"

"They can do those... those works too, there's nothing special about them."

"Huh? Are you kidding me?!"