LSLFBW: Chapter 141

Chuan Chuan quickly adapted to the life of fighting the four-eared sheep leader every day because Qi Bai and Lang Ze stayed at the kiln for seven or eight days at a time.

Qi Bai smashed the pottery mold, and an iron dagger with irregular edges fell out.

Qi Bai gently tapped the blade with his knuckles and a crisp sound came out. Qi Bai said excitedly, “it’s done.”

“Is this ironware?” Niu Xi examined it carefully. “Did we not do it well? This doesn’t look like a knife.”

Qi Bai peeled off all the clay from the dagger. “You can’t tell now, but I will polish it.”

Qi Bai didn’t mind the dagger’s ugly appearance at all. After all, this was the first decent-looking finished product that they had made after so many days.

It had to be known that in these seven or eight days, Lang Ze, the main force pulling the fan, broke several straw ropes.

Due to limitations in their smelting tools, the iron they could currently obtain consisted only of small, black iron slags. They used a bone knife to press a mold into clay to create a dagger and placed the black iron slag inside. After several hours of firing in a high-temperature furnace, they finally obtained this dagger.

The dagger itself was unremarkable but this was enough to prove that the crimson stones truly contained iron. Judging from the amount of iron slag they had collected, the iron content of these crimson stones wasn’t low.

Niu Xi nodded vigorously. “Bao Bai, you must show it to me after you’ve finished polishing the ironware!”

Qi Bai smiled. “I know.”

Progress was finally made in the ironware production and the group could sigh with relief.

Qi Bai and Lang Ze bid farewell to Niu Xi and Lu Guo, walking along the path towards the stone sheepfold.

Lang Ze held the dagger in his hand for a moment. Then he took out the flying bird bone knife he always carried.

The blades of the two knives clashed in mid-air, producing a clanging metallic sound. He held them up to his eyes and saw that the bird bone knife was undamaged while the iron dagger had a small dent on its blade.

Lang Ze paused, surprised that this iron dagger was so fragile.

Qi Bai wasn’t surprised. He smiled and took the dagger, rubbing the dent with his fingertip.

It was said that steel was forged through repeated tempering. The literal meaning was clear. A good weapon required countless hammerings by the blacksmith. The ironware they produced now wasn’t even forged. It was definitely of the lowest quality.

The bird bone knife was different. Qi Bai didn’t know what bird bones were made of, but based on his usage over the past year, he knew that this material was definitely tougher than any metal he had encountered on Earth. Therefore, Qi Bai never believed that iron could replace bird bones.

Lang Ze asked in a puzzled manner, “Then why are you still looking for iron?”

“Iron is much easier to obtain than bird bones and it has a very important characteristic.” Qi Bai gently shook the dagger in his hand. “It can be shaped into anything.”

Lang Ze pondered for a moment and quickly understood Qi Bai’s meaning.

No matter whether it was bird bones or wild animal bones, the bone tools made by the beastmen were limited by the original shape of the bones, even with the divine wood water.

Iron tools were different. They possessed a sturdiness that pottery couldn’t match and a flexibility that bone tools couldn’t achieve. This made them truly excellent materials for making tools.

However, there was still a problem. Lang Ze said, “There is too little iron.”

Qi Bai nodded. “If we continue making them using our current method, it is indeed very troublesome. We need to modify the fan and the furnace.”

Qi Bai believed that forging sturdy and durable iron tools was only a matter of time.

As they talked, they reached the outer edge of the stone sheepfold.

“Hurry up, don’t hide!” Hu Meng’s voice rang out first.

Qi Bai sheathed the dagger and quickened his pace.

The four-eared sheep leader was pressed against the inside of the stone sheepfold while Niu Yong and Hu Meng were pulling hard on his horns, trying to drag him out.

Qi Bai asked, “What happened?”’

Upon seeing Qi Bai and Lang Ze, Hu Meng complained, “He was being disobedient yesterday, and he refused to come out today.”

Qi Bai moved closer and saw the four-eared sheep leader’s pitiful state. A large patch of his horn had been scraped off, several patches of his fur were bald and there were even dark red bloodstains in some places.

In contrast, Chuan Chuan, not far away, was completely unharmed. He was now somewhat digging into the snow with his mouth in a bored manner, trying to find food underneath.

Wow, it seemed that Chuan Chuan had made great progress in the past few days while he was away. Chuan Chuan even managed to keep the four-eared sheep leader from coming out to fight.

Qi Bai laughed. “Can’t you just get another sheep? Why do you have to cause trouble for one sheep?”

Niu Yong stared blankly at Lang Ze. “Should we get another sheep?”

They really hadn’t thought of this. After all, Lang Ze had said to let Chuan Chuan and the four-eared sheep leader fight. They had to do as Lang Ze said.

“No need.” Lang Ze shook his head and looked up at the sky. “Go and inform the priest and chief to come to the thorn fence.”

Before Niu Yong could react, Hu Meng had already excitedly released the horns of the four-eared sheep leader and ran off into the tribe.

The four-eared sheep leader seized the opportunity and quickly retreated into the flock.

Niu Yong watched Qi Bai and Lang Ze leave with Chuan Chuan and scratched the back of his head. He silently closed the door of the stone sheepfold.

On the hillside next to the thorn fence, firewood crackled in a thatched hut repaired with yellow mud.

A clay pot rested on a wooden frame over the fire.

Two beastmen, wrapped in thick animal skins, stood with their hands clasped together.

The younger beastman had a square face and was staring intently at the large bones bubbling in the pot.

The older beastman, leaning against the door, had a long scar on his face that made him look somewhat unapproachable. However, that fierce look vanished the moment he spoke.

These two were Tun Quan and Niu Cheng, who were responsible for guarding the thorny fence.

Niu Chen stood at the doorway and turned to Tun Quan, asking, “Is someone coming from down below?”

Tun Quan swallowed hard, stood up and looked carefully down from the doorway. “It is Lang Ze and Bao Bai. Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes, sure.” Niu Chen quickly followed behind Tun Quan, heading down the mountain.

It was just past noon, the warmest time of the day.

Through the thorny fence, they could see some four-eared sheep huddled in the shed for warmth. Others were scattered throughout the valley, chewing on the snow.

Qi Bai immediately spotted a slightly larger four-eared sheep. “Is that the leader of the four-eared sheep?”

Tun Quan arrived at this time and replied, “That’s right, it is that one. This guy is even more formidable than our chief. He chases away the other sheep when we throw food down, eating his own fill before letting the others eat.”

Tun Quan secretly added to himself, ‘That is why he is so fat. I have been wanting to taste this sheep for a long time.”

Qi Bai looked over with some disdain. This four-eared sheep leader seemed rather petty. The four-eared sheep leader in the stone sheepfold at least knew to let the pregnant ewes eat first.

“Baa~” Chuan Chuan bleated at the right moment, as if agreeing with Qi Bai’s opinion.

Lang Ze said to Tun Quan, “Let’s go in and catch him.’

Tun Quan immediately replied, “Okay!”

Lang Ze and Tun Quan crossed the thorny fence and quickly approached the four-eared sheep leader from the left and the right.

The sheep stirred restlessly at the approach of the beastmen, yet their speed was like slow motion compared to Lang Ze and Tun Quan.

The two of them nimbly moved, easily weaving through the chaotic sheep, heading straight for the four-eared sheep leader in the center.

Niu Cheng watched them and murmured, “Truly impressive.”

Niu Cheng’s exclamation was heartfelt. He certainly wouldn’t have been able to move so easily if he was among the sheep.

As a powerful cow beastman in beast form, his former Xiaoniu Tribe wasn’t a weak tribe in the northern wilderness. Even after their defeat, Niu Cheng never admitted to being weaker than the beastmen of the Rough Wood Tribe. They lost only because their tribe had fewer horned beastmen.

However, after joining the Black Mountain Tribe and witnessing Lang Ze’s hunting party, he realized he was wrong. Beastmen battles weren’t just about brute force. Horned beastmen warriors could truly fight a hundred opponents single-handedly.

A smile flickered in Qi Bai’s eyes.

The hunting party’s progress was undeniable.

At this time last year, facing a flock of sheep that was less than half the size it was now, the horned beastmen had to transform into their beast forms to suppress and control the sheep. However, in just one year, Lang Ze and Tun Quan could handle the sheep at ease even in human form.

Just as Lang Ze and Tun Quan dragged the four-eared sheep leader out of the enclosure, Yang Luo and Hou Yan arrived at the thorn enclosure, followed by many tribe members.

Shu Lin was the first to approach Qi Bai, excitedly asking, “Is Chuan Chuan going to challenge the leader of the four-eared sheep? Could Chuan Chuan really become the new leader if he defeats the four-eared sheep leader?”

Qi Bai couldn’t answer Shu Lin’s question as no one knew how beasts communicated. Before Qi Bai could even speak, the battle had already begun.

“Baa!’ The four-eared sheep leader let out an angry roar as soon as he stepped out of the enclosure.

Without the other beastmen needing to lift a finger, Chuan Chuan pushed off with his hind legs, sending snowflakes flying. Chuan Chuan charged towards the four-eared sheep leader.

The onlookers instinctively stepped back, making enough space for the two four-eared sheep to duel.

The scene looked somewhat unbelievable.

A thorny fence separated the two sides.

Inside the fence, a dense flock of sheep stared intently at the two fighting sheep with their dark eyes, showing no panic or unease. They were seemingly waiting for a predetermined outcome.

Outside the fence, the beastmen were excited. Some even danced and gestured along with Chuan Chuan’s movements, wishing they could join.

Qi Bai was also constantly on edge as he watched the situation closely.

It seemed like only yesterday when he brought Chuan Chuan here every day to drink the milk of the ewes. Now Chuan Chuan had defeated his former leader and might soon have a new flock.