I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 587: Smelting a bronze spear

Staring at the fingerprints on the clay for a while, the joy on Hei Wa’s face gradually grew stronger, and finally, he couldn't help but laugh aloud.

This commotion caught the attention of the people around him. They all turned their heads toward the pottery master in the tribe, eager to see what discovery had brought such joy.

Hei Wa ignored their gaze and quickly shaped the clay in his hands.

After a few attempts, he realized that the clay had hardened due to being left too long.

He discarded it and quickly grabbed a fresh lump of clay, beginning to shape it swiftly.

Under the watchful eyes of the others, a narrow, flat, and slightly distorted 'Y'-shaped object gradually took form.

The shape resembled the bronze spearhead design that Han Cheng had drawn and could almost be considered a spear.

Seeing this, the onlookers exchanged puzzled looks. They didn’t understand the purpose of Hei Wa’s creation.

After all, the Divine Child had requested a mold be made, yet Hei Wa had molded a spear from clay, which was completely different from the Divine Child's instructions.

Moreover, the clay spear was too thin and long, so even if dried and fired into pottery, it would still be fragile and easily broken, having no real value.

After exchanging confused glances, the group turned to Han Cheng to gauge his reaction.

Han Cheng also noticed Hei Wa’s actions. Unlike the others, who were confused and surprised, he couldn’t help but smile in approval.

Hei Wa had figured out the right approach even earlier than expected.

Though it wasn’t exactly what he had envisioned, there was no denying it was an effective solution.

As the clay spear lay on the stone slab, Hei Wa carefully compared it with the design Han Cheng had drawn on the pottery slab, noticing the differences and realizing that the thickness was still off.

After some thought, he fetched a bamboo knife and refined the clay spear.

After some careful adjustments, a more refined-looking spear was completed, even though it was still clay.

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Having independently devised a solution, Hei Wa no longer needed Han Cheng to pretend he didn’t know what was going on.

Han Cheng gave Hei Wa a thumbs-up, offering his approval without reservation.

Hei Wa, now validated, smiled even more brightly.

“Divine Child, you knew how to do this all along, didn’t you?”

After laughing, Hei Wa asked what had already crossed his mind.

Han Cheng chuckled. “I only figured it out recently, and it’s still a bit different from what you came up with.”

“Then why didn’t you just tell us?” Hei Wa asked in confusion, as did the others, who were still puzzled. They still couldn't see how Hei Wa’s clay spear could become a suitable mold.

“Don’t you think solving a problem through your effort is more fulfilling?” Han Cheng smiled and responded.

Hei Wa thought for a moment, then, after comparing, realized the truth of Han Cheng’s words—solving problems through one’s effort indeed brought greater satisfaction.

“I hope that when you encounter problems, you will think more, use your wisdom, and try to solve them, just like Hei Wa did. Only then will our tribe be able to obtain more good things and develop better…” Han Cheng spoke to the others who had been working on the mold.

Han Cheng’s words made the others begin to reflect.

Han Cheng couldn't be sure how much these words and the events unfolding before them would affect them or spark change.

As long as it can provoke some reaction, it’s enough to show that the words weren’t wasted.

At the very least, it proves these words weren’t spoken in vain.

Han Cheng instructed the others to stop what they were doing and start making clay spears, just like Hei Wa.

In addition to the clay spears, they also made clay arrowheads, axes, and some small spheres.

After these items were made, they were left to dry in the sun, then placed in the kiln for firing to harden them.

Looking at the finished products, the people involved from start to finish, except for Han Cheng and Hei Wa, still couldn't understand how these items could be used to make molds.

Their confusion was soon cleared up when Hei Wa placed the best-made, most well-crafted clay spear onto a rectangular, smooth slab of clay.

Then, he slowly began to press the clay spear down into the clay block.

The clay was not very hard to begin with, and when Hei Wa pressed down, it quickly sank in.

When the clay spear was pressed flush with the clay block, he stopped and began to carefully pry it out.

Before pressing the spear into the clay, Hei Wa coated it with plant ash so it wouldn’t stick to the clay and would come out easily.

Once the spear was removed, a neat and clean spear-shaped imprint remained on the clay block.

It was far more even than anything the others had molded by hand.

Seeing this, the others finally understood—how the clay spears and arrowheads are used!

The clay molds could be made so easily!

Once this method was explained, many people immediately understood what was happening, though until the veil was lifted, it had been a real mental block.

With this new technique, making clay molds for the Green Sparrow Tribe became a much simpler task.

Of course, this was only for casting simple items, so making clay molds for them was relatively easy. If they were to switch to casting something like a bronze vase, that would be much more complicated.

However, humans are very capable of learning and creating, and with more experience working with bronze, the tribe’s skills would continue to improve. Eventually, it wouldn't be impossible to make a set of bronze cooking utensils.

Alright, the nature of a food lover has once again revealed itself.

The furnace blazed with a blue smoke as the copper-tin alloy inside melted, reaching the point of perfect heat.

Next to the furnace, a large platform had been built, filled with ceramic molds.

The first bronze casting of spearheads and such was carried out by Han Cheng, who was dressed in a complete set of leather gear, including gloves.

He used a ceramic ladle with a wooden handle to scoop out some molten copper and carefully pour it into the nearest mold.

The hot, viscous copper flowed through the grooves of the ceramic mold, slowly but steadily filling them.

When the copper was level with the top of the mold, Han Cheng withdrew the ladle and scooped another portion of molten copper, pouring it into another mold.

An entire batch of molten copper was enough to fill eight molds for bronze spears and twenty-three molds for bronze arrowheads.

Using the furnace's continued heat, Han Cheng had people add rough tin and copper to continue smelting the bronze.

Han Cheng made sure to weigh rough tin and copper before adding them each time. The proportions were never quite the same, and all the data was carefully recorded.

However, after the bronze was smelted and the bronze tools were cast, the performance of each tool also needed to be documented.

Through this gradual exploration, they would figure out what proportions of bronze were suitable for making specific bronze tools.

This was a meticulous task that required extensive data to support it. Although it was troublesome, it couldn’t be ignored.

Only by slowly summarizing these patterns could the Green Sparrow Tribe’s bronze industry continue to develop more effectively.

After reintroducing the materials, the molten bronze in the molds completely cooled and solidified.

Han Cheng flipped the ceramic mold over, propped one end on his hand, and lightly tapped the back with his other hand. There was a sharp ‘clang’ sound…

The ‘clang’ didn’t come from Han Cheng breaking the clay mold.

Although he admired Xiao Feng’s mighty dragon-subduing palms and secretly practiced them before the family water tank as a child, he still lacked strength and technique and never succeeded.

The sound at this moment came from the solidified bronze spear not being caught and dropping onto the stone platform.

Setting the clay mold down, Han Cheng picked up the bronze spear.

Weighing nearly a kilogram, it wasn’t cumbersome in his hand, and even when it was placed on a two-meter-long, almost three-meter-long wooden pole, holding it was still quite manageable.

Because the spear was long and flat, its weight was more evenly distributed. If a hammer of the same weight had been placed on a similar-length pole, it would have been much more challenging to carry.

This weight and shape made it quite suitable as a weapon.

The golden spear's side was a little uneven, which was because it wasn’t pressed against the air during molding.

To make both sides of the spear flat, the molds could be modified into those that could be assembled and then poured with bronze through a single hole.

Such molds, though, were more complicated to make and use, and they could easily break, which is why Han Cheng hadn’t used them this time.

As for the slight imperfection on one side of the bronze spear, Han Cheng didn’t consider it a flaw. After all, the spear was intended for hunting or fighting, and sharpness and durability were far more important than aesthetics.

The spear itself was 20 centimeters long, with two holes 3 centimeters apart at the base. Later, these holes would be used to attach it to a wooden handle.

Once assembled, about 15 centimeters of the spear would remain exposed, which was enough to inflict fatal damage whether used on people or animals.

The spear also had a 5-centimeter-long, forward-slanting branch at the bottom, which could prevent it from getting stuck too deeply in its target and making it difficult to pull out.

The branch could also be used as a hook to catch prey or block attacks.

Han Cheng looked at the golden spear for a while, nodding with satisfaction. It was excellent in terms of both weight and shape and far superior to Shang's iron spear.

Of course, this comparison was only in terms of appearance and form. If the two were to clash, the newly cast bronze spear might not necessarily win against Shang’s iron spear.

The arrowheads were also a success, gleaming brightly in the sunlight. Han Cheng might have even considered stringing one on a leather cord to wear as a pendant if they weren't such a hassle.

The eight bronze spears were given to the Long Spear team, which will now be known as the Long Spear and Gē team.

The arrowheads were given to the Archery team, who would sharpen and attach them to arrows.

Due to the tribe's limited manpower, the making of feathered arrows wasn’t assigned to a specialized person but was done whenever the archers had time.

The tribe members were not dissatisfied with this arrangement. They felt that the bows, arrows, and feathered arrows they made themselves were much easier and more comfortable to use.

Making bows, arrows, and feathered arrows was a skill that any archer in the tribe should possess, and this was a common consensus among the tribe members.

Those skilled with the bow and arrow were steadfast believers in this idea.

Well, it seems the tribe was wholly influenced by their best archer, Third Senior Brother, who led them to this belief.

Over the years, the tribe has mostly replaced feathered arrows with bone or animal teeth arrows because these materials make the most effective and useful arrows.

Of course, this was before the advent of bronze. Now that the tribe had bronze, in time, bronze arrows would inevitably replace bone arrows as the dominant arrow type in the tribe.

Once these two most aggressive military forces in the Green Sparrow Tribe were equipped with bronze weapons, they would undoubtedly become even more formidable.

If the Flying Snake Tribe had attacked after the Green Sparrow Tribe had equipped its warriors with bronze weapons, facing the large and tough-skinned rhinos, they could have fought head-on without needing traps…

“Put it on the ground and stab it!”

Under the autumn sun, in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng raised his voice, halting an experiment that was about to take place.

Shang was holding the gleaming bronze spear and preparing to thrust it, and the eldest senior brother, holding a shield wrapped in leather with both hands and bracing himself in a bow stance, were both puzzled by why Han Cheng would stop them at the last moment.

“First, rest the shield against the wall and test it. After that, you can hold it by hand.”

The first batch of bronze spears had already been assembled. Since these were the tribe's first bronze weapons, the tribe members had been especially careful when sharpening them, making sure the blades were thin and very sharp.

Using such weapons to pierce the tribe's vine shields, there was no guarantee that the shields would withstand the attack.

Han Cheng pointed to the wall while speaking to be safe and avoid a leadership change after the test, signaling the eldest senior brother to place the shield against it.

The eldest senior brother and the others were all incredibly tough, but Han Cheng couldn’t afford to follow their example as a prudent person.

After understanding Han Cheng's intent, the eldest senior brother thought that the leader was being overly cautious.

After all, his shield was carefully crafted, made with thick vines, and covered with sturdy leather. It was excellent, and although the bronze spear looked sharper, it wasn’t guaranteed to break through his shield.

Though he thought this, the eldest senior brother still obediently placed the shield in the corner of the wall.

“Whoosh!”

Shang gripped the bronze spear tightly and thrust it forcefully at the shield. The spearhead flashed in the air, striking the shield with a loud thud, and the sharp bronze spearhead plunged deep into the vine shield.

Shang lifted the shield and the spear's shaft with a twist of his hand.

The eldest senior brother froze momentarily, quickly rushing over to pull the shield off the spear. Looking at the tear in the shield and the broken vines, he felt a pang of pain, and his eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

This was truly terrifying. If the Divine Son hadn’t called for the halt, and if the eldest senior brother had still been holding the vine shield, his arm might have been pierced through by the bronze spear!

It wasn’t just the eldest senior brother who was shocked; everyone else who witnessed the scene was equally stunned by what they had just seen.

Though they had previously held high expectations for the bronze weapons, seeing their power firsthand, it was only now that they finally understood why the Divine Son had placed such great importance on them.

Under the autumn sun, the golden bronze spear emitted a dazzling light that captivated everyone’s gaze. At that moment, it was undoubtedly the most eye-catching presence in the area.

Those holding bronze weapons gripped them tightly, while those without looked eagerly toward the direction of the copper furnace...

The world was vast, though Han Cheng wasn’t entirely sure how vast it was.

There were many different tribes in the world, living in similar yet distinct ways, repeating their lives day after day.

Through this process, some tribes faded into history, some grew stronger, and some, due to a random occurrence, broke out of their repetitive routines. Others started to look beyond their usual boundaries, and as a result, their way of life began to change.

While the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were excited over the bronze spears, a war was also unfolding in the north, beyond their sight.