Chapter 78: Lofty Aspirations
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After three years, the name 'Ling Yi,' which had been dormant and almost forgotten, once again caught the attention of various factions in 'Wood Plant City.'
This time, 'Ling Yi' was no longer a mere lucky young man, but the fourth Blacksmith Master of the 'Waterwood Principality'!
With this, Duke Mu Feng personally met the nearly fourteen-year-old young man, bestowing upon him the title of Baron and granting him his hometown, Beikouhe Town, and its more than twenty subordinate villages as his fief.
A meteoric rise!
From a commoner to a Baron with a fief spanning dozens of miles, Ling Yi became the epitome of inspiration for all the commoners in the 'Waterwood Principality'!
Although there were still higher ranks such as Viscount and Count, as well as Duke Mu Feng and several Marquises who controlled the entire principality, achieving such a rank was still a monumental accomplishment, bringing glory to one's ancestors.
To put it inappropriately, if Ling Yi's lineage were to establish a family shrine, Ling Yi's memorial tablet would be placed in the center of the top row!
At this moment, people realized that not only could Soul Masters obtain titles after becoming Soul Venerables, but Blacksmiths who reached the rank of Blacksmith Master could also receive titles from the principality!
For a time, the profession of blacksmithing became highly favored among the commoners and small Soul Master families in the 'Waterwood Principality' due to Ling Yi's story.
Those with low innate soul power, poor quality Martial Souls, and limited future prospects as Soul Masters, even one-ringed Soul Masters, were now tempted to consider changing careers and learning the art of forging.
More skills never hurt, and it could provide an additional source of income.
Making money was nothing to be ashamed of!
...
On February 15, 2605 of the Douluo Calendar.
Mountain Sea Village, Ling Family.
Ling Yi stood by his desk, holding a homemade brush pen, carefully writing and drawing on a sheet of snow-white paper.
Golden sunlight streamed through the window, warming his body and dispelling the chill of February, making him feel relaxed and at ease.
Logically, at this time, he should have been attending banquets hosted by various small and medium-sized nobles, whether they were old-established families that had existed for over a hundred years or newly emerged Soul Master families. They were all very interested in this young Blacksmith Master, and he should have taken the opportunity to expand his social network among the nobility.
If not for socializing with the Soul Master nobility, he should have been exchanging forging techniques with his fellow apprentices under Old Master Jin, as well as with Blacksmith Masters like Fu Shan and Li Qiang, to further strengthen their bonds.
However, a few days ago, Ling Yi had declined all social engagements, entrusting Old Master Jin to represent him in dealing with both old and new Soul Master nobles. He had returned to his newly acquired fief, his hometown of Mountain Sea Village, to quietly follow his daily routine and practice.
At most, he added an hour of calligraphy practice each day.
This was not because Ling Yi, now a Baron and a member of the nobility, had started to cultivate a refined taste, but because he wanted to adjust his mindset.
Ling Yi, who had learned calligraphy from a Chinese literature major in his previous life, understood the calming effect of writing.
No matter how much he told himself that what he had achieved so far was insignificant on the Douluo Continent and that his strength was still weak, he could not help but feel some different emotions deep down.
These emotions were called satisfaction, pride, laziness, fear...
His powerful mental energy and the resilience he had developed over the past decade clearly showed him that he was beginning to feel satisfied with his current achievements, proud of his success in rising from nothing, and even considering settling down in the 'Waterwood Principality,' marrying a few capable Soul Master beauties, and founding a grand 'Blue Silver Grass · Ling Family.'
When people first set out with nothing, they often have lofty ambitions and are always full of passion and drive.
But once they achieve a certain level of success through hard work and opportunity, and possess the wealth and status they once desired, they start to fear losing everything, and their original enthusiasm and determination begin to wane.
If this were a typical daily life story in a foreign world, Ling Yi would definitely choose to settle down, diligently develop the economy and livelihood of his fief, maintain good relations with the nobility, and treat his subjects like children, encouraging them to create value for Baron's better life.
After struggling for over a decade, shouldn't Baron have the right to enjoy life?
But!
This is the Douluo Continent, where the lives of ordinary people and the weak are fraught with hardship!
At any moment, an evil Soul Master or a Soul Beast might pass by and ravage the entire fief spanning dozens of miles.
What could Baron Ling Yi do then?
Kneel and beg for mercy? Offer gold and silver and beautiful women to buy a way out? Or submit to execution?
After going through the trouble of reincarnating, did he want to live a life where he had no control over his own fate?
From his body to his mind, everything would be out of his control, forced to laugh when told to laugh, and to cry when told to cry!
The daily necessities of life would drive his body, and the constant flow of information would manipulate his emotions...
Wanting to escape, but not knowing where to go.
Now, having come to this world with extraordinary powers, why not take a chance?
What others thought, Ling Yi didn't care. He knew only that he had to strive and fight!
To gradually reach a realm where his mind and body could be equally free.
So, what did it matter if he was just a Baron? What did it matter if he had a fief spanning dozens of miles? What did it matter if he was a Blacksmith Master at the age of fourteen?
In the end, on the Douluo Continent, stripping away all the pretense, Ling Yi was still just a one-ringed Soul Master who had just reached level seventeen.
Such a small achievement could not be an excuse to stop and revel in temporary glory.
At fourteen, a one-ringed Soul Master at level seventeen.
Although he had just turned fourteen and would likely reach level eighteen before turning fifteen, thinking of the original protagonist Oscar, who, due to the type of Martial Soul, had a slower cultivation pace and only practiced intermittently, still managed to reach level thirty and become a Soul Venerable at the age of fourteen, Ling Yi immediately dispelled any feelings of satisfaction or pride.
At this age, with this strength and these achievements, how could he possibly rest? He couldn't even sleep well!
After spending some time with his family, understanding the specific situation of the town and its twenty-five subordinate villages, and making plans and arrangements, he should return to the 'battlefield' of 'Wood Plant City.' His master should have almost completed the consolidation of blacksmith information within the principality.
Ling Yi thought this as he put the final stroke on the snow-white paper.
His eyes clear, he looked at the black words on the white paper:
Remember the lofty aspirations of youth, once vowing to be the best in the world—!!!
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(End of Chapter)