Ou Yangming revealed his visitation purpose without keeping Xiong Gaoan in suspense. “I’m here to deliver some armaments, so please help me store them.”
“Okay, okay.” Xiong Gaoan was dumbfounded and confused. ‘He was just given a smithing workshop two days ago, and only retrieved the materials yesterday, so why does he have something to hand in already? Did he smith armaments of a better grade? Hmm, if these armaments are of Good Grade, they’re qualified to be stored.’
At the outer court of the equipment depot, someone was there to collect the armaments.
Even though Ou Yangming had been there before to hand in armaments, it had been on Old Craftsman’s behalf. This time, he represented himself, hence people at the equipment depot stole a glance at him from time to time to see what he was going to store in the depot.
Five armaments were revealed when he opened his bundle.
Xiong Gaoan would not attend to the matter personally if anyone else brought armaments to the depot, but since it was Ou Yangming whom Kang Weibo valued, he dared not neglect him.
He lowered himself to retrieve one of the military sabers, then flicked it with his fingers, causing a loud and clear buzz to be heard.
“Nice, the saber is of Good Grade indeed, and it’s at the peak of Good Grade,” Xiong Gaoan exclaimed as he looked at Ou Yangming. “Brother Ou, your skills are truly unordinary.”
While the munition factories produced a substantial amount of military sabers, their claims to perfect the sabers were empty talks.
Soldiers in the military usually used Common Grade military sabers, and unless one had a way, it was difficult to obtain a Good Grade military saber.
“Officer Xiong, look at them closely.” Ou Yangming shook his head, and was slightly dissatisfied. “If they’re just Good Grade military sabers, will I hand them in?”
“Oh.” Xiong Gaoan was startled, and his heart skipped a beat when an unbelievable thought crossed his mind.
‘Are these five armaments…’
Nonetheless, he dared not think about it further, because it was definitely impossible, but…
After taking a deep breath, Xiong Gaoan cast his thoughts aside, then channeled a hint of essential Qi into the military saber. He was instantly elated.
‘An Attribute Equipment, this is actually an Attribute Equipment!’
He could not be bothered about etiquette at the moment, and he picked up a greave after putting the military saber down carefully.
In a flash, he inspected the five pieces of equipment, and was so overjoyed that he felt dizzy.
Xiong Gaoan stammered when he looked up at Ou Yangming, “Ou, Brother Ou, you… No, what’s the meaning of this?”
Ou Yangming responded, “What do you mean what’s the meaning of this? I brought them here for storage!”
“Ah, storage, yes, they should be stored!” Xiong Gaoan came to a sudden realization, and he turned to yell at the other men, “B*stards, why are you still standing there? Can’t you see that Brother Ou… Master Ou is here? Quick, bring some good tea, the ones that Sir Kang values very much. You, ask for Sir Kang, and tell him that Master Ou’s here to store some equipment. Five, a total of five Attribute Equipment!”
The equipment depot was dead silent for a while as if the sound of a dropping needle could be heard.
Subsequently, everyone started working.
Upon seeing the chaotic scene, Ou Yangming knew even better how much thought Old Craftsman had put into this.
Chapter 27
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Kang Weibo arrived faster than Ou Yangming thought he would.
Upon hearing that Ou Yangming had personally brought five pieces of Attribute Equipment, Kang Weibo hurried to the depot before his subordinate finished reporting to him.
After inspecting the pieces of equipment himself, he was unable to conceal his happiness. He initially fawned over Ou Yangming as much as he could as it was his only choice, so he did not expect his investment to give him a high return so quickly.
Five pieces of Attribute Equipment, these were five pieces of Attribute Equipment.
There were only a few more than twenty Military Fire Blacksmiths in the Armament Camp, but apart from Old Craftsman and two experienced blacksmiths, the total Attribute Equipment handed in by the other blacksmiths every month was roughly twenty pieces.
In actual fact, Kang Weibo knew that there was something fishy about it.
Each time, there were definitely a few blacksmiths who exceeded the quota given, but the extra ones were considered their personal income. If he dared to take those by force, he would probably lose his position as the Armament Camp’s supervisor.
This was because even the commander-in-chief could not protect him in all Military Fire Blacksmiths despised him.
Therefore, less than thirty pieces of Attribute Equipment were normally kept in the Armament Camp’s storage. This was also why Kang Weibo was so anxious when Old Craftsman did not hand in anything for a month. Some of his hair had even turned white.
Three pieces of Attribute Equipment were a tenth of the total amount, so it made sense that he was concerned.
Since Ou Yangming suddenly submitted five pieces at once, Kang Weibo was overjoyed.
“Oh, oh, oh, Master Ou, you’re my angel!” Kang Weibo changed the way he addressed Ou Yangming after hearing Xiong Gaoan’s report.
Ou Yangming smiled. “Sir Kang, you’re being too polite, but I’m not the only one who contributed to these five pieces of Attribute Equipment.”
“What?” Kang Weibo was surprised.
“My master said that he’ll make up for the ones he owed last month.”
Kang Weibo and the others finally realized that three of the five pieces of Attribute Equipment were from Old Craftsman. They exhaled deeply at the same time, and figured that this made more sense.
If Ou Yangming had smithed all five of them in two days, the commander-in-chief would probably be startled by his efficiency, but since some of them were from Old Craftsman, that would not happen.
Kang Weibo laughed. “Old Man truly has a sharp sense of integrity, he didn’t forget about us even though he’s busy forging a weapon for General Chen.”
Xiong Gaoan and the others praised Old Craftsman too, but they gave so many praises that Ou Yangming’s face reddened.
Ou Yangming cleared his throat. “Sir Kang, I’d like to withdraw twenty more precious ores, ten of them are for Old Man. Additionally, I need some normal steel.”
Kang Weibo was stunned. While twenty precious ores cost a lot, they were nothing compared to five finished Attribute Equipment. In fact, he would not mind if Ou Yangming asked for more.
However, he was rather perturbed when Ou Yangming asked for steel.
After a moment of hesitation, he asked carefully, “Master Ou, are you planning to smith High Grade armaments?”
The limit of a featured iron ingot was the peak of Good Grade, thus the raw material had to be changed if one wanted to produce something above that. The raw material above a featured iron ingot was steel, but even normal steel was much more expensive than a featured iron ingot.
Ou Yangming nodded. “Yes, I’d like to try.”
Kang Weibo replied cautiously, “Master Ou, it’s good to have that thinking, but don’t you think that it’s a bit too early?”
“Alright, I’ll retrieve some featured iron ingots along with some steel, is that okay?” Ou Yangming could not help but laugh.
“Master Ou, look at you. Hehe, we’ll send you anything you need!” Kang Weibo was relieved.
Ou Yangming nodded. “Okay, I’ll be waiting then, but send them fast.”
Whether it was the featured iron ingots, the steel, or the precious ores, he could not get them right away. Besides, he could not carry everything by himself, so Kang Weibo had to send his men to carry them to his smithing workshop.
Kang Weibo nodded as he sent Ou Yangming off.
Afterward, Xiong Gaoan bowed at him. “Sir Kang, congratulations!”
Kang Weibo laughed out loud as he was delighted. With Ou Yangming’s help, his task of collecting Attribute Equipment for the month became easier.
Xiong Gaoan then sighed. “But he had Old Craftsman’s help this time, so it’s hard to tell how he’ll do in the future.”
“Old Craftsman treats him like his own son, so he definitely won’t let the young fella lose his reputation. As for us, as long as he hands the pieces of Attribute Equipment for storage on time, I don’t care where they come from.” Kang Weibo grinned.
“Sir, you’re very wise indeed.” Xiong Gaoan chuckled, then shook his head after a short pause. “Ou Yangming was already a good seedling because he has Old Craftsman’s guidance, but he’s reaching for something that’s beyond his grasp. How can he think about smithing High Grade equipment so soon after stimulating the Military Fire? He’s being overconfident…”
Kang Weibo hesitated for a while before he mentioned, “Gaoan, the first Attribute Military Saber was probably smithed by Ou Yangming.”
Xiong Gaoan was stunned, and he looked at Kang Weibo with a confused look as he did not understand what he meant.
Kang Weibo explained, “As much as Old Craftsman pampers Ou Yangming, he won’t lie in this. No matter what Ou Yangming’s success rate is, he surely smithed at least one Attribute Equipment.”
Xiong Gaoan nodded, but he still found it odd because that was already a known fact to him.
“Gaoan, have you heard of anyone who can smith Attribute Equipment two months after acquiring the Military Fire Seed?”
“Sir, you’re right, I was acting like a snob.” Xiong Gaoan’s face changed when he came to a sudden realization, and his back was drenched in a cold sweat.
Kang Weibo laughed out loud. “You don’t need to belittle yourself. After all, Ou Yangming is truly a madman for being able to smith a Good Grade armament after just two months. Hehe, I hope that he’s really as capable as he seems.”
※※※※
After returning to his smithing workshop, Ou Yangming neither practiced the martial-art squat nor the Military Fire’s control.
Chen Yifan told him before that it was important to strike a proper balance between work and rest. If he blindly worked hard, it might not actually yield great results.
Ou Yangming kept Chen Yifan’s words in mind as he respected him very much.
He pulled a small bookshelf out from the corner of his workshop, then picked a book to read.
Since Ou Yangming was an orphan, he could not read at first. It was only after he became Old Craftsman’s helper that he was forced to learn to read and write from the old man. While Ou Yangming had his own writing style, to the extent that he might not be able to read his own words, he could read very well.
He was reading a book related to smithing art, which was what Old Craftsman asked him to learn.
Back then, there were many things that Ou Yangming did not understand when he read, but after experiencing a few months of practical training with the Military Fire, most of the contents made sense to him. At times, he was so enlightened that he gained plenty of knowledge from them.
Needless to say, he was able to advance by leaps and bounds in Military Fire Smithing Art due to the wonderful Military Fire, but it was also closely related to his hard work.
All of a sudden, Ou Yangming had a grim expression on his face when he read, and his brain functioned quickly as he looked at the descriptions in the book.
The book recorded that apart from weapons and armors, there was a unique branch from the so-called equipment.
The Jade Branch.
It was said that some extremely unique attributes in the world could not be attached to weapons and armors easily, and they could only be seen in Jade Equipment.
For instance… Qi Return.
Ou Yangming found the Qi Return attribute in the abandoned depot, and he vaguely remembered that it was from a damaged breastplate.
Nevertheless, he found from the book’s description that the Qi Return attribute did not belong to the breastplate. Instead, it belonged to a shattered treasure ore that was originally embedded on the breastplate.
Ou Yangming really wanted to try the Qi Return attribute, but he did not know where to purchase a suitable treasure ore.
Though there were many materials in the military camp’s equipment depot, as far as he knew, there was no such treasure ore.
Moreover, even if he acquired a suitable treasure ore, he might not be able to attach the attribute on it successfully. It was clearly stated in the book that armament smithing and treasure ore refinement were two completely different matters. In fact, it was a different research path in smithing art. Nonetheless, it was not recorded in the book how treasure ores could be refined, thus Ou Yanming was disappointed.
If he had the chance to, he would like to travel outside to open his eyes.
It was also what Old Craftsman hoped for Ou Yangming. After realizing Ou Yangming’s talent, the old man hoped that he would not be trapped in the military camp his whole life, and that he would soar in the sky like an eagle.
Ou Yangming hid the book after pondering for a long time.
Following that, he began practicing the martial-art squat. He was so familiar with the posture that it became a part of him.
Ou Yangming knew that he had to build a strong martial arts foundation if he wanted to travel the world, because the world outside was not all in peace.
He could sense his essential Qi flowing slowly in his dantian and meridians, and each time it flowed, his Qi and blood declined a little, whereas his essential Qi became richer.
The fact that Ou Yangming would certainly gain results if he put his utmost effort in his martial arts cultivation was the exact reason he was willing to work tirelessly.
If one could not improve even after working so hard, one’s desire to cultivate would definitely decrease.
The sound of an aura being stirred up filled the smithing workshop, and it was extremely pleasing to the ear.
Chapter 28
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Ou Yangming’s Military Fire burned, the tough steel became soft, and was finally turned into a military saber after the constant burning.
Yes, it was a military saber, because that was what Ou Yangming was most skilled at.
Old Craftsman watched with a dignified expression. Although the smithing process using steel and a featured iron ingot were similar, there were still some differences due to the different raw materials. The old man had taught Ou Yangming how different materials should be handled, so it was up to the young fellow to grasp the patterns and changes.
Ou Yangming needed experience the most from the process, because it would increase his success rate.
He did not cheat at the moment as he did not increase the military saber’s attributes using the purple lights. Instead, he sensed the differences between steel and iron ingots wholeheartedly according to Old Craftsman’s guidance.
At last, when his Military Fire stopped, a military saber was formed.
He frowned a little, and was rather embarrassed.
[Item: Outstanding military saber]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Sharpness +10. Toughness +10, Durability 10]
The saber was of Good Grade, and was the best of that grade, yet Ou Yangming was dissatisfied.
That was because he used steel instead of a featured iron ingot. It was a precious material that could have allowed him to smith a High Grade weapon, but he only managed to force a Good Grade one.
It was then when Ou Yangming lost his confidence.
He wondered, ‘Without the purple lights’ support, this is all I have.’
Old Craftsman took the military saber to look at it for a while before he exclaimed, “Ah, young fella, you’re good.”
Ou Yangming f
elt helpless. “Old Man, I know I made a mistake. Don’t attack me, okay?”
“Nonsense. It’s your first time using steel, and you forged something that’s at the peak of Good Grade. What more do you want?” Old Craftsman glared at him, and scoffed. “I failed more than ten times before I figured it out and smithed a High Grade weapon. Come, let me tell you what your mistake was.”
“Thank you, Old Man.” Ou Yangming was stunned. He regained half of his confidence upon hearing the old man.
He knew that Old Craftsman was only saying that because of the sad look on his face.
Nevertheless, he also knew that the old man was right, because one could not improve one’s smithing technique in one move. As such, he realized that it was unreasonable for him to feel disappointed.
Ou Yangming lowered his head, and picked up more steel to begin smithing again.
Even though he did not use the attribute lights stored in his mind, he automatically triggered the purple lights the moment he used the Military Fire. Consequently, he became extremely calm as though his consciousness was detached.
Under the state, he was almost able to perform perfectly.
After experiencing failure, Ou Yangming’s Military Fire became exceptionally stable, and it did not fluctuate at all as though it was controlled by a machine.
The flaws that were present before were compensated excellently, such that even the picky Old Craftsman could not find any fault.
‘He did it,’ Old Craftsman said to himself the moment the military saber was formed, and a joyful look was seen on his face. Though he had not touched the finished product yet, he had a feeling that the young fellow succeeded.
[Item: Distinguished military saber]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, High Grade, Rank Two]
[Attributes: Sharpness +12, Toughness +11, Durability 12]
High Grade.
Through the Military Fire’s afterglow, Ou Yangming saw the attributes stated clearly.
He finally fulfilled his wish of smithing a High Grade equipment.
A result like that worth celebrating even for other Military Fire Blacksmiths. Those blacksmiths would usually attempt smithing with steel only after having years of experience, and none of them could guarantee that they could definitely smith High Grade equipment with steel. In fact, even Old Craftsman, who was the chief of blacksmiths, dared not guarantee it too.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 17
