Ou Yangming was curious. ‘What exactly is the matter that the Supreme Great Ancestor attaches so much importance to?
‘Could the Fang family have a secret like the Ni family does?
‘And the place is so dangerous that an archer’s suit is needed to eradicate demons…’
Ou Yangming shook his head and got rid of the crazy thought. ‘I’m really overthinking.’
Fang Zhaoyang said, “Once Xuande is done inspecting it, you may check it too if you’re interested. This matter must be done perfectly, without a single flaw.”
The other people responded to him, but they did not step forward.
If they did not trust the great ancestor and Fang Xuande, could they trust anyone else?
Fang Xuande stood up after some time, and he looked confused. “It’s impossible. I’ve checked it before, and I clearly found only two possible points on the longbow…”
Ou Yangming cleared his throat and spread out his hands. “Senior Xuande, did you forget that I’ve upgraded the longbow’s equivalent rank?”
“You… When you upgraded it, did you smoothen out the tensions too?” Fang Xuande suddenly looked up in astonishment.
This time, Ou Yangming smiled bitterly.
“I have no idea either.” He shook his head and added after some thought, “If I try to do the same again in the future, perhaps I’ll find the answer.”
Fang Xuande nodded. He suddenly turned around and expressed, “Master Lil’ Ou is exceptionally talented, and he’s beyond ordinary people. I request that he chisel holes and embed gems in the archer’s suit instead, and I hope you’ll allow it, Great Ancestor, Patriarch.”
A strange atmosphere filled the secret room at once.
Fang Zhaoyang looked deeply at him and questioned, “Does he have a better hold of it than you?”
“Yes, a genius can’t be weighed with logical reasoning!” Fang Xuande answered without any hesitation.
Without witnessing Ou Yangming’s unbelievable way of searching holes, Fang Zhaoyang and the others would ignore Fang Xuande’s request.
However, their doubts were removed after they watched Ou Yangming’s performance.
Even if Fang Xuande had not proposed the idea, the others were actually having similar thoughts. When Fang Xuande decided to withdraw himself from the task, they became more certain of the idea.
Fang Zhaoyang nodded and said to Ou Yangming seriously, “Lil’ Friend, we need to trouble you again.” Everyone else lamented. They had actually figured that they would need to request Ou Yangming’s help again in the future if his skills improved such that he could perform quadruple-layering of attributes.
That being said, they did not expect it to happen so quickly.
Moreover, instead of quadruple-layering, they were requesting him to perform the Fang family’s secret technique — the Tool-chiseling Art.
Ou Yangming clicked his tongue and wondered, ‘What’s going on? Why are they asking me for help again? What I did was really… Not too much!
[1] Author made a typo here by writing Ni Yinghong instead of Ni Yunhong. We’ve corrected it for the context
Chapter 158 - An Old Friend Asked To Meet
Another three days passed before Ou Yangming finally managed to leave the Fang residence and return to the Ni residence.
In actual fact, Ou Yangming had only chiseled holes to make grooves for the seven pieces of equipment throughout the three days. If he had worked at his normal speed, he could actually finish the task within a day.
Nonetheless, the people from the Fang family dared not be too unrestrained. Therefore, Ou Yangming was allowed to rest each time he finished chiseling a hole and was only asked to continue when he was full of spirit and energy again. Ou Yangming had repeatedly told them that he could manage it and that they could trust him.
Even then, everyone from the Fang family persuaded him nicely while they adhered to their own opinion.
As such, Ou Yangming could only stay there helplessly for three days. He quickly left when he was done settling every piece of equipment.
Needless to say, Ou Yangming kept reminding before he left that everything he did and said in the Fang residence must not be spread. Fang Zhaoyang promised him since there was no reason to decline the request.
Even though Ou Yangming had only stayed in the Fang residence for ten days, he had become friends with the powerhouses from the Fang family’s higher-ups. He went to meet Old Craftsman as soon as he returned to the Ni residence.
Old Craftsman was in great condition, where he had somewhat returned to his peak state without any sign of aging.
Ou Yangming was extremely satisfied with the Life-prolonging Golden Pill’s mighty effect.
After having a meal with Old Craftsman, he was brought to the side room, which had been rebuilt into a smithing workshop. In addition, Ou Yangming could tell at once that the workshop was built with reference to the old man’s private workshop in the military camp.
In other words, when Ou Yangming looked at it, he thought they had shifted Old Craftsman’s workshop from the military camp. “Look, Eldest Young Lady Ni ordered them to rebuild it.” Old Craftsman laughed. “With this smithing workshop here, I won’t feel lonely anymore.”
Seeing as the smithing workshop was equipped with various materials, Ou Yangming commented, “Old Man, Eldest Young Lady Yinghong has really put in a lot of effort into this!”
Old Craftsman cast a meaningful look at him. “Yes, but she didn’t do it for me.”
Ou Yangming blushed. “Old Man, you’re kidding me.”
10L
The old man laughed heartily, but he looked slightly worried after a brief moment. “Young fella, the eldest young lady is nice, but she doesn’t match you…”
“What?” Ou Yangming was stunned. He scratched his head and remarked, “Old Man, she’s quite a nice person…”
Old Craftsman sighed and responded seriously, “She’s the Ni family’s eldest young lady, so she has a noble status. On the opposite, you’re just an orphan, so how can you deserve her?”
Ou Yangming quickly realized that he had misunderstood the old man earlier.
He smiled embarrassedly. It was reasonable for Old Craftsman to be worried, but the old man had no idea that after he fell sick, Ou Yangming was no longer the little kid that he used to be as he had become independent.
Nevertheless, no matter how great Ou Yangming’s achievements were, they could not seem to change Old Craftsman’s mind because the old man regarded him as a young fellow who would never grow up. “Old Man, don’t worry. As long as you’re willing to, I’m definitely going to marry your daughter-in-law!” Ou Yangming patted his chest. “Young fella, it’s good to have a desire, but you mustn’t do anything wrong…” Old Craftsman’s face changed a little, and he warned Ou Yangming softly. Ou Yangming did not know whether to cry or to laugh when he saw how concerned the old man was. ‘What are you thinking…’
A loud and clear voice was suddenly heard outside. “Ou Yangming, are you here?”
“Coming!” Ou Yangming quickly called out, and his eyes lit up right away. He even winked at Old Craftsman and said to him softly, “Old Man, I’m going to seduce your daughter-in-law!” Old Craftsman glared at Ou Yangming and wanted to hit him, but the young fellow had already dodged and escaped.
“Forget it. There’s no need to worry if it’s a blessing, and even if it’s a curse, it can’t be avoided. Children have to take care of themselves when they grow up, so there’s nothing I can do…” The old man shook his head and sighed for a while. When he curbed his thought and looked at the different ores on the table, he felt his hands itch.
Ou Yangming approached Ni Yinghong with brisk footsteps.
Though Ni Yinghong was still dressed like a man at the moment, since Ou Yangming had found out her real identity, she looked charming to him even in that outfit.
Ni Yinghong blushed when he noticed Ou Yangming staring at her with his perceptive eyes. She scoffed. “Y
ou finally came back? Hmph, Old Man has been waiting for you for ten days!” Ou Yangming wondered, ‘Old Man wouldn’t care how long I’ve been away. I’m sure you’re the one who has been missing me…’ Of course, he would be a fool to actually say it out loud. He giggled and explained, “The Fang family’s archer suit is unusual indeed, so the matter was delayed by a few days.” Ni Yinghong’s eyes glowed. “How’s the archer suit now? Tell me about it.”
Ou Yangming did not hide anything from her, hence he told her everything he encountered at the Fang residence.
When Ni Yinghong heard that the five types of equipment in the Fang family had all been triple-layered with attributes, she could not help but feel stunned.
In actuality, if it was the Power or Agility attributes that were attached, it would not be too surprising to use less than a hundred precious ores to complete the task. Both the Fang family and the Ni family could have done it.
However, the Fang family had prepared ores for the Vision and Precision attributes, which were much more valuable. Therefore, even the rich and influential Fang family had to give up on quadruple-layering. Despite that, this was just the beginning.
When Ni Yinghong heard Ou Yangming brag about how he grasped the Hole-searching Art and Hole-chiseling Art during the first time, she wrinkled her nose and looked at him in disdain.
It was clear that she was trying to express how he should not have told her something lame, which could be easily exposed, just to make her happy.
Ou Yangming apprehended her look right away, and he felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.
That said, he knew that the matter sounded like a fantasy indeed, and he would also be dubious if it had not happened to him.
Ou Yangming’s eyes wandered about, and he suddenly reached out to hold Ni Yinghong’s tender hand.
Ni Yinghong widened her almond eyes, but before she could rage, Ou Yangming pulled her into the old man’s smithing workshop.
She struggled for a while, but she dared not be enraged in front of Old Craftsman.
Ni Yinghong could only glare angrily at the shameless rascal as she decided, ‘When there’s only the two of us the next time, I’ll definitely make him… Make him…
‘What should I make him do?
‘If I punish him too lightly, I can’t vent my anger; if I punish him too heavily, what if he really leaves because he can’t take it?’
Just as Ni Yinghong was having a dilemma, Ou Yangming let go of her hand.
“Old Man, lend me your equipment.”
Ou Yangming noticed the helmet on the platform.
Unquestionably, Old Man had smithed it while Ou Yangming and Ni Yinghong were conversing earlier.
Old Craftsman was dumbfounded when he saw the young fellow pulling the reluctant young lady into the workshop, but before he could reprimand Ou Yangming, he saw him picking up the newly smithed helmet.
The instant Ou Yangming picked it up, the look in his eyes changed.
It took only a split second, but Ou Yangming became incredibly calm and focused. Old Craftsman and Ni Yinghong sensed the change in the atmosphere, so they immediately shut their mouths and watched Ou Yangming attentively.
Ou Yangming turned the helmet in his hands once, then he grinned as he said, “Yinghong, appraise it.”
Ni Yinghong pouted her lips and thought, ‘Who allowed you to call me by my first name?’
While she complained, she would not make things difficult for Ou Yangming in front of Old Craftsman.
She rubbed her hands to release the Appraisal Light.
Ou Yangming chuckled. As soon as the light went away, the Military Fire burned in his hands and enveloped the helmet.
When the fire disappeared after a brief moment, a groove was seen on the helmet.
Ou Yangming tossed the helmet back to Ni Yinghong. “Appraise it again. How is its quality?”
Ni Yinghong was surprised, but she proceeded to inspect the equipment, and she soon looked like she was in disbelief.
“Y-you actually found the node?”
Ou Yangming responded proudly, “Isn’t it just a node? How hard can it be?”
Old Craftsman was stupefied too, and he wondered, ‘This young fella actually grasped the legendary Boring Skill too?
‘It… Wasn’t me who taught him that, right? As thick-faced as the old man was, he had to admit that Ou Yangming had mastered things that were beyond his capability. Ni Yinghong was left in awe, but she was displeased when she noticed the arrogant look on Ou Yangming’s face.
She was struck with an idea, and a strange expression was seen on her face. “Brother Ou, something huge happened in our clan when you weren’t around these few days.”
“What?” Ou Yangming asked curiously.
Ni Yinghong answered with a sweet smile, “Young Master He Liangce came to visit the three great ancestors. He made it through the Testimony Path that was hosted by the ancestors, and he was qualified to enter the Land of Inheritance to cultivate mental power’s secret technique!”
Ou Yangming’s face changed, and he felt ill at ease when he looked at Ni Yinghong.
“Oh right, where’s Big Yellow? Where did it
go?”
“Big Yellow was sent to the Land of Inheritance by the great ancestors a long time ago. I haven’t seen it for a long time either.” Ni Yinghong was rather regretful.
Ou Yangming nodded. When he was going to speak again, a servant from the Ni family[1] had hurried over to say, “Young Master Ou, a soldier visited and said that he’s Sui Hezhi from the West Camp[2]. He asked to meet you!” Following that, the servant glanced at the eldest young lady and expressed anxiously, “If you don’t want to meet him, I’ll ask him to leave.”
“No, I’ll go meet him now,” Ou Yangming quickly responded although he was slightly startled.
That being said, he somehow had a bad feeling about this.
[1] The author originally wrote ‘the Fang family’ here, but they’re at the Ni residence, so the servant couldn’t have come from the Fang family. We’ve corrected it for the context
[2] The author originally wrote ‘South Camp’ here, but Sui Hezhi is from the West Camp. We’ve corrected it for the context
Chapter 159 - Help
Ou Yangming met his old friend, who had not shown up for a long time, in the living room.
Sui Hezhi was considered a notable figure as he was a part of the Guards in the West Camp. Although he was not on par with the squad leaders from the Guards of the five camps, he was not inferior to squad leaders who were not from the Guards.
Back then, he had made things a little difficult for Ou Yangming when they exchanged blows, but he gave a wild beast to Ou Yangming every ten days from then on in exchange for their friendship.
Nonetheless, as Ou Yangming became more capable than anyone had expected, and as he crossed paths with people with higher rankings, they no longer contacted each other.
If Ou Yangming was still in the Immense Forest Military Camp, perhaps they would have conversed for a while if they met.
However, the fact that Sui Hezhi had suddenly visited Ou Yangming in the prefecture could only mean that something was off.
Both of them lamented when they saw each other, especially Sui Hezhi, who had somewhat watched Ou Yangming rose to an unreachable height in a short span of time. Even though Ou Yangming was still polite when they reunited, Sui Hezhi knew very well that there was a huge disparity between them, and they could not be like how they used to be.
“Brother Sui, when did you arrive at the prefecture?” Ou Yangming asked with a smile.
Sui Hezhi quickly answered, “Master Ou, I was ordered to come here three days ago.” Ou Yangming furrowed his eyebrows. “Brother Ou, we’re old friends, so you don’t have to be so constrained, and you don’t have to call me a master. Remember, we’re always friends.”
Sui Hezhi felt a warmth in his heart. It did not matter if Ou Yangming was being sincere or not because the fact that he said that was enou
gh to make Sui Hezhi feel deeply touched.
“Master Ou, thank you for remembering me.” Sui Hezhi nodded and was rather anxious. “We were still thinking – if you ignore us, we really don’t know what to do anymore.” “What?” Ou Yangming frowned and asked, “What do you mean ‘we’? What happened?”
“By we I meant our brothers from the Immense Forest Military Camp, who have come to the prefecture,” Sui Hezhi answered sternly, then asked after some hesitation, “Master Ou, do you still remember Jiang Chengwei?”
me
Ou Yangming’s eyes moved a little. He instantly recalled the fearless archer and squad leader from the Middle Camp, who had protected him even if it cost his life.
There were very few people in the Immense Forest Military Camp who was a squad leader and an archer at the same time. Besides, Jiang Chengwei had died because of Ou Yangming, so how could Ou Yangming forget him?
Seeing as he nodded slowly, Sui Hezhi asked in a careful way, “Master Ou, do you know Squad Leader Jiang’s family?”
“I heard him say that he had applied for home leave to visit his family in the prefecture. He has a younger sister…” Ou Yangming responded, and his face darkened at once. “Could it be that his family is in trouble?”
Sui Hezhi nodded and was glad.
In actuality, after he had asked to meet Ou Yangming and brought up Jiang Chengwei, he was waiting to see Ou Yangming’s reaction.
If the young master was unmindful, Sui Hezhi would be dispirited, and he would not talk about the matter further.
When he saw Ou Yangming’s reaction, his heart burned with fire.
“Master Ou, help!” Sui Hezhi stood up abruptly and kowtowed at Ou Yangming. Ou Yangming was taken aback, so he immediately reached out his hand to help him up. “Brother Sui, what are you doing? Quickly get up!”
Sui Hezhi initially wanted to kneel until Ou Yangming agreed to help, but he felt a huge power when Ou Yangming helped him up.
In terms of power only, Sui Hezhi was not inferior to Ou Yangming at all. Nevertheless, when he tried to resist the force, his power had strangely reversed and was offset by his follow-up force. Subsequently, Sui Hezhi was somehow lifted by Ou Yangming.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 94
