Reborn

It was a lousy, hot morning of the plains during the summer seasons. No one else felt this like the plains village of Rod. Populated by 225 people, they live simple lives of farmers and those who wish to become bigger in life eventually return to their ordinary lives. Here in this village lies an ordinary individual, Fan Yan. Ordinary is the wrong word to use in this case, as while he was normal on the outside, a burning ambition flowed through his veins. He also carried a secret, he was a transmigrator from another realm who was once a cultivating craftsman, now lives in the body of a farmers son. 

Inside a house that would was made of thatch and other strange materials, Fan Yan poured his eyes over the few books people had gathered in this village, the majority coming from the old Eccentric Wang who apparently was a purveyor of immortal arts. Fan Yan was considered a child many thought would leave the village and then come back to the simple farm life style that everybody else eventually did. Fan Yan on the other hand had thoughts others could not see. 'Where can I find a cultivation manual?' was Fan Yans thought as he scrounged up memories in his mind of the various arts he once practiced, but they now seemingly escaped his mind like a good memory. 

Fan Yan then closed the book in frustration, as the only art he could practice was an entry level technique, a basic body reinforcement method that gathered spiritual energy to gain a powerful defensive body and reinforce his strength. However, it did not offer any other benefits like other methods, truly an entry level skill. 'Atleast I have something, I do know the arts of imbuing weapons with power and even the knowledge of forging them myself was present, so maybe some built up karma gave me this boon' though Fan Yan as he now heard the calls of his father to come out into the forge which he managed and used to build farming tools and some weapons used by the few guards here. 

"Fan Yan, today I am teaching you to forge a sword so pay attention" said Fan Yans father, whose nam was know as Jin, Fan Jin. His mother was not in the picture, for she had died 12 winters earlier of a strange sickness that not even Eccentric Wang knew what it was. Fan Yan then began to observe his father as he heated the metal and began to use his hammer to flatten and fold the metal to remove impurities from the iron. He then stuck it into the crucible of the flames to melt it down and then poured it into the mold. He then sees his father then hammer, refine, and cool the metal until a blade was formed. Fan Jin expected praise from his son for this feat as did all fathers when they accomplished something big, but all he got was a look of analysis determined to find flaws. 

"What do you think?" asked Fan Jin as he looked at his son. "Its not bad" said Fan Yan to his father. Fan Jin sighed in relief but Fan Yan was more looking at the process from a cultivators perspective. 'Why not use spiritual power to remove impurities, even a novice craftsman knows this skill. With a poor sword like that, crafting anything of good quality as a cultivation tool would be embarasing' thought Fan Yan as he watched the father finish the hilt showing a now complete product. Fan Jin now thought Yan was ready to try his first sword. He would be there for the inevitable failure, as many craftsman failed on their first try. 

However, as he watched his son forge the weapon he was so proud of as his art, his eyes widened at what his son was doing. Surrounding his son was a faint aura of energy which flowed into his hammer as he struck the metal. He was then able to fold and fold it again and it grew smaller as if compressing itself. He saw there was no impurities left in the metal, a feat which he thought impossible. 'Aura, maybe he might have talent as a cultivator' thought Fan Jin as he observed his son further forging his blade. Aura was a sign of cultivation, as it flared when spiritual energy in use. As Fan Jin was ignorant of his sons former life, he thought this was pure talent as he was able to replicate something from stories, though he wasn't wrong in his entirety. 

As Fan Yan was finished, he began a step which was not taught to him by his father, yet Fan Jin was too curious to see what he would do. The sight of Fan Yans aura made him curious of his sons talent in the arts of spiritual power. Fan Yan began carving a complex array onto the sword using a technique to create a sharp blade of energy at his fingertip to carve the formulas into the blades structure. As he finished, the sword hummed as spiritual energy began to flow into the blade and a glow began to form. Fan Yan than took the blade and swung, releasing a blade of energy which cut a deep mark into the earth, though leaving the farm fields untouched. 'This is good enough, though it is a low rank spiritual tool. To craft a weapon for proper cultivation, I am gonna need special materials' thought Fan Yan as he put the sword down. 

"My Son!" said Fan Jin as he rushed over and picked his son up with ease. "You have talent, talent to be a cultivator! Man, I should send a letter to the people in Heavenly plains City" said Fan Jin with excitement as he put his son down and went to find materials to craft and send a letter during the time a caravan is planning to make a stop here. Caravans make a stop in this village every 2 weeks to bring more supplies, gold from sales of crops, and will occasionally deliver letters for some extra gold. 

'Why is my father excited about this, this is a basic technique that even the talentless had no trouble with' thought Fan Yan as his common sense clashed with this worlds common knowledge. Fan Yan then continued forging swords and was able to make around 20 swords before the days end, alot faster than the modern craftsman of this world.