Chapter 12: The Armored Elite

The two blacksmiths had barely approached when they caught sight of the stone in Lin Shize’s hand and exclaimed, "Iron ore!"

Lin Shize handed the stone to them and asked, "Masters, take a look and tell me what you think of this iron ore."

The blacksmith tapped the stone, listened to the sound, and replied, "Not bad at all. It is excellent iron ore, but we will have to put it in the furnace to see exactly how much iron it can yield."

Lin Shize waved his hand decisively and said, "Old Liu, bring the tents over! Get the masters settled in as quickly as possible!"

Inside the smelting furnace, flames surged, carrying waves of heat that hit them in the face. Despite being soaked in sweat, Lin Shize worked tirelessly at the bellows.

The blacksmith picked up a piece of iron and said, "Sir, the iron content in this ore is very high, probably around fifty percent."

Lin Shize clasped his hands together, thanking the heavens and his ancestors; his luck had finally turned.

"Masters, how much iron can the two of you produce each day?"

The blacksmith lowered his head to calculate before answering, "We only have two bellows right now, so we can only fire the furnace four times a day, yielding at most one hundred jin of iron. Besides, we also have to mine the ore ourselves, so the pace won't be very fast."

Lin Shize responded, "I will arrange for others to handle the mining. You only need to focus on the smelting."

The blacksmith looked at Lin Shize and asked cautiously, "Sir, if I may be so bold, what do you intend to forge?"

"Triangular arrowheads!" Lin Shize said firmly. "They are armor-piercing arrowheads of immense power. I will provide you with the blueprints shortly. You must forge them as quickly as possible—the more, the better!"

The triangular arrowhead was something Lin Shize had planned for a long time, but he had never had the opportunity to produce them. More than half of his soldiers were hunters who excelled with bows, and the first battle had already proven that archery was devastatingly effective against the Mengla people. Now that he had iron ore, he was confident that once he developed these triangular arrowheads, he could turn this valley into an impregnable fortress.

Lin Shize drew a sketch of the triangular arrowhead on the ground and asked the blacksmith, "Master, this is the item. How many can you make each day?"

The blacksmith squinted and said, "It isn't complicated. Once we create the molds, we can forge twenty to thirty a day."

Lin Shize nodded. While this would be enough to arm dozens of soldiers for now, he had to plan for the future.

"Very well, Master. I will have a few apprentices learn the trade from you. I will pay you five taels of silver per month. In the future, we won’t just be making arrowheads; we will also forge sabers, iron armor, and all sorts of other equipment."

Upon hearing the mention of five taels of silver—more than he could earn in several years—the blacksmith pounded his chest and guaranteed, "Sir, rest assured! Within three months, I will train a group of skilled hands for you!"

"Good, then it’s settled. Old Liu, have people sent over tomorrow. Apprentices will receive one tael of silver per month, and those who master the craft will receive two taels!"

This compensation was better than that of soldiers at other border outposts; Lin Shize wanted to build his own core team as quickly as possible.

The moonlight that night was astonishingly bright, as if someone had scattered the silver dust of the galaxy across the heavens and earth. Lin Shize used a branch to continuously calculate on the ground. He no longer had to worry about raw materials, but the lack of manpower remained an issue. He would not stay at the border forever, nor would he remain in this small valley.

"Boss, aren't you going to rest?" Da Hu walked over and squatted down, though he couldn't make sense of the things Lin Shize had written.

Lin Shize replied, "I can't sleep. The lives of over a hundred people rest on my shoulders; I have to find a way out for them."

Da Hu asked in a muffled voice, "Boss, isn't the compensation you're giving them a bit too high?"

"Sigh, I know, but there is no one else to use right now. I can only use heavy rewards to ignite their enthusiasm. In these troubled times, we cannot just know how to fight and kill. Civil administration, military affairs—neither can be neglected..."

That night, Lin Shize and Zhao Dahu spoke at length. Although his name was Dahu, he was very intelligent, and Lin Shize intended to cultivate him well. It was on this night that Zhao Dahu first realized how shocking the grand blueprint in Lin Shize’s mind truly was.

While one's thinking could be unrestrained, one's actions had to be grounded. In chaotic times, military power was the mainstream. The tactics of this world were backward; most people only knew how to charge forward recklessly. Training consisted merely of basic drills, physical conditioning, or archery. That was why the Mengla people, with their cavalry, were invincible.

Lin Shize prepared to instill the basic "three-man team" concept into the soldiers' minds, and he even considered training an elite squad for special operations in the future. He introduced the training methods of his past life, focusing on willpower, physical fitness, and tactical coordination.

As the horizon began to glow with the first light of dawn, Lin Shize took them out for armed cross-country runs. At first, his demands were not high; everything required a gradual process. The complex terrain of the mountains served as the perfect training ground.

Rock climbing, assaults, stealth, and combat drills—every exercise came with rewards for the top three, which greatly stimulated the soldiers' enthusiasm.

Lin Shize was not stingy with food, spending silver like water, and the soldiers all became robust and strong. He even set up cavalry training, requiring every rider to be able to hit a target with an arrow while on a fast-galloping horse. Such novel training methods were unheard of, and the soldiers could feel their own transformation.

A simple defensive wall had risen around the perimeter of the valley, providing the basic capability to defend against enemies.

One day, Liu Wu arrived with a transport wagon, and Lin Shize gathered all the soldiers in the open space. Though they were curious about the contents of the wagon, they stood motionless without Lin Shize’s command.

Lin Shize looked at the soldiers and said, "What is on this wagon is the equipment I have prepared for you. It is all iron armor, one set for every man. Once you wear this, you are the elite soldiers under my command. I hope you will kill many enemies and defend our home!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The soldiers' roar echoed through the sky.

When the crates were opened, even veterans like Zhao Tai gasped. Inside were sets of Mengla iron armor, far superior to anything made of leather. The sabers emitted a biting chill, and even through the crates, one could feel their sharpness.

Goudan excitedly picked up a piece of iron armor and asked, "Boss! This armor is too good! Where did you get it?"

Liu Wu retorted, "What did you think it was, wild vegetables? You don't just 'get' things like this. The boss had me buy these from the main camp, and it cost a whole box of silver! Even regular arrows can be stopped by armor like this."

Upon hearing Liu Wu, the entire field fell silent. Even Liu Wu himself had been stunned when he first heard Lin Shize’s request. This was authentic Mengla iron armor; even the most elite troops in the main camp might not have so much of it. Yet, Lin Shize had bought it for them without blinking an eye.