As planned, Ling Yue's days working with various metals in the Ye family's forge had begun.
Thanks to the black cauldron, what most would see as backbreaking labour had become a form of cultivation for her.
On one hand, she used her Jade Flower Hand to slice through iron ore as a way to practice the technique. On the other, she secretly refined the ores using the black cauldron.
To avoid drawing attention, she kept the purity of the refined ores at around forty percent. Without realizing it, Ling Yue had already spent more than a month in the forge.
During this time, the cauldron's spirit smoke had become denser and more vibrant with continued use.
Not only that, her Yuan energy had grown significantly, reaching the peak of the fifth rank. She could feel that a breakthrough was just around the corner.
"Young Miss, you're here." Seeing her arrive, the Ye family's workers greeted her with respect.
It hadn't always been this way. When Ling Yue first came to work at the forge, her young age and delicate appearance had stirred quite a reaction.
She was a beautiful young girl and a member of the clan—why would someone like that willingly do such dirty and menial work?
No one believed she would last. Some even started betting on how long she'd hold out.
But Ling Yue wasn't one to back down.
Using her quick wit and excellent memory, she quickly won over the burly workers with her charm. Unlike other lords and ladies from the main house, she was friendly and addressed them by name—a trait they greatly appreciated.
Over time, they discovered something even more surprising—Ling Yue was a fifth rank martialist. Despite her age, she handled the intense workload easily, cutting ores quickly, precisely, and cleanly.
But that wasn't all—she also had a keen eye. Rumor had it she could identify ores even the old ore masters couldn't recognize, just by lightly touching them.
Little by little, over the span of a month, Ling Yue became one of the most outstanding workers at the forge.
That morning, as she arrived at the forge, she was surprised to see a few injured workers rushing out.
"Young Miss, don't go in! A mad dog broke in and bites anyone in sight. Several brothers have already been hurt."
It was still early, so only regular workers were present—the strongest among them only a third rank martialist.
Upon hearing the warning, Ling Yue rushed inside. Loud barking greeted her.
A short distance away stood a dog as tall as her waist. Its fur was dirty and tangled, and there were torn rags and bits of flesh hanging from its mouth.
The forge was in complete chaos as workers scattered in every direction.
"Squeak!"
Just as Ling Yue was about to step forward, Little Squeak wriggled out from her dress.
Usually, Little Squeak clung to her side and rarely left her clothes, preferring to nap all day. But something had clearly set him on alert today.
He had sensed something unusual. When he locked eyes on the dog, his large blue eyes filled with contempt.
Seeing Little Squeak's odd reaction, Ling Yue decided to step aside and watch.
Landing lightly on the ground, Little Squeak calmly approached the ferocious dog with his tiny legs.
A fox the size of a teacup facing off against a dog the size of a small cow—it was a ridiculous sight.
Thankfully, no one else was around to see it, or it would have caused a huge stir.
Startled by the tiny creature in front of him, the dog snarled and began barking again.
Squeak!
Unimpressed by the dog's aggression, Little Squeak let out a sharp, piercing hiss.
Unlike his usual cute sounds, this hiss was sharp as an arrow, striking the dog's ears directly.
The once-ferocious dog suddenly whimpered like it had been hit by an invisible force. Its legs trembled and gave out, and it collapsed onto its back in submission before Little Squeak.
Uh... what am I watching right now?
Watching from the side, Ling Yue couldn't help but feel an ironic urge to laugh at the bizarre sight.
Still, the result was clear: the dog had been subdued and wouldn't harm anyone now.
Squeak~
Little Squeak casually trotted back to Ling Yue and gave her a soft cry.
"You're saying... that dog is sick?" Ling Yue's face turned awkward as she realized what Little Squeak was trying to tell her.
Even though she'd read many of Mr. Grand Mist's medical notes, she wasn't an actual doctor. She hadn't even treated a real human patient before, let alone a dog.
When she hesitated, Little Squeak gently bit her hand and tried to drag her closer.
"You want me to use the cauldron's spirit smoke to treat him?" Ling Yue finally understood.
But... was the cauldron even capable of that?
As if understanding her hesitation, the dog looked up at her with teary, pitiful eyes.
"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures." Taking a deep breath, Ling Yue reached out and touched the dog's body.
Sensing its master's intent, the cauldron stirred to life. A strand of spirit smoke flowed out like silk and entered the dog's body.
A moment later, an image of the dog's internal pathways formed in Ling Yue's mind.
To her shock, she saw a black spot the size of a fingernail slowly expanding in the dog's brain.
Now it was clear. The dog was seriously ill, and this illness had caused its violent behavior.
Thankfully, she had the cauldron. The spirit smoke, reacting to the illness, moved of its own accord and began attacking the black spot.
Unlike removing impurities from Xuan Yuan Jade or Yuan Iron ore, this time the process was much slower.
An hour passed. Ling Yue was drenched in sweat by the time the black spot was finally dissolved.
"There's the mad dog!" A group of fifth rank martialists burst into the forge, weapons in hand.
"Young Miss? What are you doing here? And that dog—"
But they froze mid-sentence. The supposedly dangerous dog was lying on its back at Ling Yue's feet, wagging its tail like a loyal puppy.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, Ling Yue wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled brilliantly.
"How interesting… what a curious little thing." Just as Ling Yue and the others were leaving the forge, a man wearing a golden metal mask silently descended from the rooftop.