Lin Xia immediately straightened his posture and brought up all the passages he had marked as unclear.
Seeing Lin Xia's earnest attitude toward learning, Lou Gao responded with equal seriousness, patiently correcting and guiding him through each point.
Lin Xia listened intently. Many of the hazy concepts and lingering questions that had troubled him while reading suddenly became clear under the explanations of the Divine Craftsman.
For the rest of the morning, the two alternated between instruction and discussion. Sometimes Lin Xia listened quietly; other times, he raised his own questions or shared his thoughts. Master and disciple became fully immersed in a focused, animated exchange.
Meanwhile, Larvitar remained quietly in Lou Gao's arms, happily gnawing on the star cold iron. It listened to the conversation between its master and the old man who supplied delicious stones, occasionally letting out contented "you ji" sounds. Its large eyes blinked thoughtfully, as if trying very hard to understand what they were talking about.
Unfortunately… its efforts were doomed to fail.
Larvitar's tiny brain simply wasn't built for academic study.
Time slipped by unnoticed amid the flow of knowledge. Before they realized it, the sun had climbed high overhead.
Lou Gao glanced up at the sky, stopped his explanation, and smiled.
"That's enough for today. Learning must be taken step by step—no need to rush. First, let's fill our stomachs."
With that, he clapped his hands. A servant quickly responded, and Lou Gao gave his order.
"Prepare a full meal and bring it to the backyard."
Soon, a square table was set beneath the shade of a tree. One dish after another was brought out—tender stewed Spirit Beast meat bathed in rich gravy, crisp seasonal vegetables, soft white steamed buns, and a large bowl of fragrant fish soup.
Lou Gao waved his sleeve casually.
"Come, Xiao Xia. Eat with your master. Blacksmithing is exhausting work—eating well comes first!"
He grabbed a steamed bun and a hefty piece of meat, eating with great enthusiasm.
Although Lin Xia could sustain himself by eating ore, the aroma of normal food was still tempting. He respectfully acknowledged and picked up his bowl and chopsticks.
The meat was tender and flavorful, the vegetables fresh, and the soup rich and satisfying. Everything tasted excellent.
Just as Lin Xia was about to continue eating, he felt something tug gently at his pant leg.
He looked down.
At some point, Larvitar had slipped out of Lou Gao's arms and was now squatting beside his feet. It hugged a half-eaten chunk of star cold iron with both paws, staring intently at the meat and vegetables in Lin Xia's bowl.
Its crimson eyes were wide and pitiful… with a faint trace of disdain mixed in.
Larvitar cautiously pointed one small paw at the leafy greens in Lin Xia's bowl, then pointed at the hard, cold ore in its own arms, letting out a questioning "you ji?" from its throat.
Master… what is that soft green thing you're eating?
Is it really as delicious as my stone?
If it's not that good… should I share mine with you?
Lin Xia stared at its proud, ore-supremacist expression, then at the vegetables in his bowl, feeling both amused and helpless.
He picked up a small piece of tender Spirit Beast meat and tentatively offered it to Larvitar.
"Here. This smells really good. Want to try it?"
Larvitar sniffed cautiously. The rich aroma made its nose twitch, and for a moment, it looked tempted.
After hesitating, it opened its mouth and lightly touched the meat with its teeth.
Then—
"Ptoo! Ptoo ptoo!"
As if it had tasted something unbearable, Larvitar immediately spat the meat out, shaking its head violently. It even wiped its mouth with one paw in disgust, letting out a dissatisfied "wuru" sound.
Clutching its star cold iron protectively, it took another solid bite. Only after savoring the familiar taste did it relax and let out a contented sound.
"you ji!"
Lou Gao burst into laughter, nearly choking on his steamed bun.
"Hahaha! What a loyal ore gourmet! Looks like this little fellow is destined to eat stones for the rest of its life!"
Lin Xia laughed as well, shaking his head and abandoning the idea. After all, Pokémon taste buds were clearly very different from human ones.
Then, seeing Lou Gao pause, Lin Xia set down his bowl and chopsticks. The thought he had been nurturing for some time finally surfaced.
He took a deep breath, sat upright, and spoke respectfully—his tone steady but carrying the enthusiasm of youth.
"Teacher… this disciple has an idea. I'd like to hear your judgment."
"Oh?"
Lou Gao was gnawing on a bone. He looked up, thick brows lifting slightly.
"What idea? Go on."
"It's about Larvitar."
Lin Xia gestured toward the little fellow at his feet, who was still focused entirely on its star cold iron.
"Yesterday, it comprehended a new ability. I believe it might be… useful for finding ore."
"A new ability?"
Lou Gao set the bone aside, wiped his hands, and leaned forward with interest.
"This little fellow? Besides eating, what else can it do now? Tell me."
Lin Xia carefully organized his words.
"I call this ability 'Digging Hole.' When activated, an earthy yellow power condenses around its head and claws. It can instantly burrow underground—soil and rock offer no resistance at all. The speed is astonishing, the tunnels are smooth, and there's barely any noise."
He described how Larvitar had instantly opened two deep holes in the courtyard the day before.
"Soil and rock are nothing… instant burrowing?"
Lou Gao repeated the key points, his eyes sharpening.
"You're saying it can move freely underground?"
"Yes."
Lin Xia nodded firmly.
"Larvitar already has an extraordinary sensitivity to ore energy fluctuations. Now that it has this Digging Hole ability… I was thinking—could we use it to explore underground?"
"To search for undiscovered ore veins?"
"Even if it's just preliminary exploration—confirming whether a certain area holds rich deposits—the efficiency would far surpass traditional prospecting."
Lin Xia paused, then continued carefully.
"I know this idea may sound naive. I also lack experience with underground dangers. That's why I wanted to bring it to you, Teacher—to see if there's a suitable location. Perhaps the edge of an existing mine under the association, or an area you consider geologically safe, where we could… experiment on a small scale."
"Just to test whether this idea is feasible."
As his words settled, Lou Gao's fingers—still faintly oily—froze on the table.
"Wait."