In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Ryoma and Samura exchanged a glance.

The two bowed deeply to Shui Xinzi Zhengxiu.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir."

The two exchanged a glance.

"Madam Shuixinzi, then we'll be heading back today," Zuocun said, bidding farewell to Madam Shuixinzi.

Madam Shuixinzi nodded and escorted the three to the door.

"Please take your time, gentlemen." She bowed slightly.

Zuo Cun and Ryoma nodded and left the residence of Shuixinzi.

"Sakamoto-kun, what are your thoughts?" Samura asked, looking at Ryoma walking beside him.

Ryoma held the sleeping Miss A-Long in his arms in a princess carry and said to Samura with a smile, "This is quite an eye-opener."

“Serizawa is right, this Mizushinko Masahide is indeed an eccentric.” Samura looked at the night sky and chuckled twice. “Perhaps it is precisely because of his eccentricity that he can be called Mizushinko Masahide.”

“This is a respectable person,” Ryoma nodded in confirmation.

"Ah, there's an izakaya here." Zuocun noticed a brightly lit little house by the roadside.

"Buy some wine to take home. Zuo Cun, are you old enough to drink?" Ryoma looked at Zuo Cun with some doubt.

When he first caught a glimpse of him, he didn't realize how young Zuocun was, but upon closer inspection under the moonlight, Ryoma discovered that this powerful and progressive swordsman actually looked somewhat immature.

"Sixteen years old, you can drink alcohol now." Zuo Cun smiled slightly.

A while ago in Mibu Village, Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki dragged me into drinking too much. After that, I became curious about alcohol and would occasionally buy some to drink. Over time, I developed a liking for drinking a little alcohol occasionally.

Drinking alone under the moon is the best way to enjoy life.

Samura simply couldn't stomach the unrestrained drinking style of Serizawa Kame and Shinmi Nishiki.

"I'll pay." Ryoma placed Miss A-Long in mid-air, and Miss A-Long floated and fell asleep as they walked into the izakaya.

A few minutes later, Ryoma came out carrying two small bottles of sake.

Tonight is destined to be a night where I'll stay up very late.

When you meet like-minded people, you will always have a lot of ideas to exchange.

Although we didn't communicate much and the way we met was rather unusual, we are ultimately the same kind of people.

The difference is that Ryoma has never killed anyone, nor has he ever thought of killing anyone.

But Zuo Cun is someone who will not hesitate to draw his sword if he thinks you are evil.

He knew very well that he was a person with power. Kondo Shusuke had told him that power needed to be restrained, so Samura naturally had his own restraints.

He would never draw his sword against ordinary people; his sword was only meant to slay the wicked and the powerful.

While Zuocun and Longma were back at the inn, drinking and exchanging ideas.

Shui Xin Zi House.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Mizushinko Masaji was still wielding the forging hammer.

He muttered to himself.

"5000!"

------------

Chapter 300 (4000) Ten Thousand Forged Jade Steel

The next morning.

Both Zuocun and Ryoma got up very early.

The three of them walked together through the streets of Nagoya, and for some reason, Miss A-Long was eating a bunch of broccoli.

Upon arriving at the street where Mizushinko's house was located, Zuocun and Longma had already heard the sound.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

The two looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

Mr. Shuixinzi Zhengxiu, could it be... that you forged it all night?

Zuo Cun knocked on the door, and after a while, Shui Xinzi's wife, with red eyes, came to open it.

She saw the three of them and just smiled wearily.

"Please come in, everyone."

"Mrs. Shuixinzi, did Mr. Zhengxiu and you... not sleep all night?" Ryoma asked incredulously.

"Masashi... he's completely in the zone. As the wife of Mizushinko Masahide, I have no reason to interrupt the creation of a masterpiece sword." Although Mizushinko's dark circles were heavy and she looked somewhat weak, her eyes shone brightly.

“I don’t trust him to forge swords alone, so I act as his assistant, doing things like heating iron.” Madam Shuixinzi yawned and said with a smile.

Whenever she saw her husband engrossed in forging knives, she couldn't help but feel happy.

Although it was inevitable to feel worried, after all, the two of them were not young anymore. In previous years, Lady Shuixinzi could accompany Shuixinzi Zhengxiu for two nights of forging knives, but now, she was already feeling so tired and delirious after just one night.

"May I go see Mr. Suishinko Masahide?" Zuocun asked, bowing his head slightly.

Madam Shuixin nodded, and although she was tired, she smiled and led the way: "Please follow me."

Ryoma Samura and Miss A-Long followed behind Mrs. Mizushinko to the familiar room.

When Lady Mizushinko opened the door to the room, Zuocun and Ryoma felt a wave of heat rush towards them. Through the heat and sparks, they could see that the burly, tall figure was still wielding the hammer.

"8000!" Shui Xinzi Zhengxiu suddenly shouted.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

The three people, except for Lady Shuixinzi, were startled.

The shout was full of energy.

Shui Xinzi was showing off the muscles in her back, which were twitching and covered in sweat.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the jade steel in his hand.

The steel is smaller than I expected.

Mizushinko Masahide picked up the tamahagane with fire tongs and placed it in the furnace to roast.

His eyes, reflecting the firelight, appeared even redder.

"Madam Shuixinzi, 8000 is..." Zuocun looked at the tough man and asked the lady beside him.

“Eight thousand folds and forgings,” Lady Shuixinzi said slowly.

"Eight thousand times..." Ryoma's scalp tingled at the number. "This... how is this possible..."

In normal understanding, the process of round forging is usually repeated 20 to 30 times by an ordinary swordsmith.

However, this Mr. Zhengxiu, a third-generation Shuixinzi... eight thousand times...

“Even when he was young, Zhengci’s strength far exceeded that of ordinary people,” Madam Shuixinzi explained. “As a young man, he could smash boulders with his bare hands, break large trees, and leave fist marks directly on iron blocks.”

"One day when he was twenty-five, the previous generation's Master Masahide saw Masatsugu's great strength, which was suitable for blacksmithing, and took him as his disciple."

"Zhengci was exceptionally talented, and at the age of thirty-five, he inherited the name of Shuixinzi Zhengxiu."

"But there has always been a problem that has been bothering Masatsugu."

"He has difficulty controlling his strength perfectly."

"The round forging of tamahagane generally only requires a few or dozens of round forgings. However, the round forging of famous swords undoubtedly requires even more round forgings."

"He is so strong that controlling his strength requires complete concentration."

"But continuous forging of pills requires a lot of mental energy."

"Several years ago, Masaji tried to forge a famous sword more than once, but each time, problems arose during the round forging process."

"Forging in rounds allows no room for failure; a single uneven hammer blow is enough to destroy the entire process."

"The first time, he was forty years old. He forged the pill 3200 times. On the 3201st time, he lost his balance due to mental exhaustion and the hammer went astray. All his previous efforts were in vain. He had to rest for several years before he was able to completely recover from the mental exhaustion and disappointment."

"The second time, he was forty-six years old. He tried to forge the tamahagane 4900 times. He fainted on the 4995th attempt. The tamahagane fell into the furnace and turned into molten iron. He failed again."

"And what is presented to you is the third time," Lady Shuixinzi's eyes gleamed. "He has already forged the pill eight thousand times!"

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Madam Shuixinzi moved closer to Shuixinzi Zhengci and wiped away the sweat that was about to drip into his eyes.

Samura and Ryoma watched as Mizushinko Masaji continued to swing his hammer.

Even Miss Alon, who generally had a poor understanding of human nature, felt a sense of admiration for this old man who had devoted his life to forging knives.

“Let’s go outside, madam,” Zuo Cun suggested. “I… am afraid of interfering with Mr. Suishinko Masahide’s forging, so let’s wait outside first.”

Madam Shuixin nodded.

To be honest, Suishinko Masahide has completely entered this state of single-minded concentration and is basically no longer affected by the outside world.

Stepping out of the room, Miss Alon seemed to be deep in thought.

She glanced at Ryoma, then at Zuocun, and then at the Shuixinzi couple inside the room.