In the Immense Forest Military Camp, every high-level Military Fire Blacksmith was given a smithing workshop each, whereas the remaining blacksmiths shared workshops. As for ordinary blacksmiths, who did not even possess the Military Fire, they had lower statuses as they were usually assistants.
Therefore, the Immense Forest Military Camp’s Armament Camp did not occupy a huge space, and they were being controlled by the Provision Camp.
On the contrary, the Prefecture Military Camp’s Armament Camp was so massive that it was far beyond Ou Yangming’s imagination. In addition, the young fellow saw many burning fires at one glance. A smithing table was placed in front of every fire, and strong men were seen hitting various armaments.
Ou Yangming was familiar with the men’s movements because he went through a similar phase before he gained the Military Fire
The men were blacksmiths without the Military Fire, or perhaps it was more appropriate to describe them as ordinary ironsmiths.
“General Li, this is…” Ou Yangming asked in astonishment.
Li Xinfan finally let go of Ou Yangming’s hand and asked with a smile, “Master Ou, how many pieces of equipment can you smith in a day?”
Ou Yangming was struck dumb by the question, and he answered hesitantly, “I can manage roughly ten pieces of equipment.”
If Ou Yangming did his best and lowered his requirement for the pieces of equipment, he could obviously smith more. However, the standard was enough for a Military Fire Blacksmith to report on a task.
Li Xinfan nodded and asked, “if every Military Fire Blacksmith can smith ten pieces of equipment a day, how many pieces can be smithed in total? In the entire military camp, how many pieces are damaged in a day?” Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up as he can sudden realization. “I understand now; they’re smithing pieces of ordinary equipment.” “That’s right. Military Fire Blacksmiths smith Fine Grade items, but the pieces of equipment used by ordinary soldiers are in the highest demand, and they’re basically forged by ordinary ironsmiths.” Li Xinfan smiled.
Ou Yangming kept nodding his head. As said by Li Xinfan, if Military Fire Blacksmiths had to smith pieces of equipment for ordinary soldiers too, they would not be able to complete the task even if every one of them in the world died from exhaustion.
All of a sudden, a clamor was heard coming from a crowd. A few people left the Armament Camp and ran toward Ou Yangming and General Li.
“General Li, why have you come?” The person who led the group was a tall man with a sonorous voice. Based on his strength, he seemed to have the cultivation base of Yin Grade, but he spoke rather casually to Li Xinfan, who was a commanding general and a Supreme Great Ancestor.
Li Xinfan chuckled. “Master Lu, I brought you someone from the same trade as yours.”
“The same trade?” Master Lu was confused. He glanced past Ou Yangming without laying his eyes at the young fellow and quickly looked behind him and the general. Next, the master’s eyes glowed, and he walked over with a bright and sincere smile.
General Li’s smile froze as he watched Master Lu walk straight past him and Ou Yangming.
Ou Yangming found it funny. He was sure that Master Lu was an important figure in the Armament Camp, or the master would not be daring enough to treat Li Xinfan as such.
“Ah, Old Craftsman, you’re finally willing to come!” Master Lu laughed and approached the old man, then he spread his arms and gave him a big hug.
Old Craftsman responded cheerfully, “Old Brother Lu, we meet again.”
The two masters hugged each other warmly, then Master Lu expressed with joy, “Old Craftsman, I told you long ago that it’s definitely a huge waste for you to stay in the Immense Forest Military Camp—that pigeonhole-given that you have such a high standard. Haha, I’m working on overcoming the toughness in pieces of equipment now, so it’ll be great if you’re here to help!”
Zhong Yunda and Wang Zhongtong looked grim. ‘What do you mean by a pigeonhole? How could you ridicule our camp so openly and loudly?’
Old Craftsman was embarrassed. “Old Brother Lu, the Immense Forest Military Camp is smaller, but it produces great seedlings too. As soldiers, isn’t it the same wherever we serve?”
Master Lu shook his head and responded, “It’s different, it’s certainly different!”
Li Xinfan cleared his throat and said, “Master Lu, I haven’t introduced him to you yet.”
Master Lu shook his head. “General Li, you can skip the introduction. Old Craftsman and I have been good friends for years, and I’ve invited him to our Armament Camp many times, but he always refused. General, you must make him stay this time. If we have his help in the research, perhaps we’ll be able to improve a piece of equipment’s toughness by a bit!”
Li Xinfan’s face darkened. He was a Supreme Great Ancestor, after all, hence he was displeased after being cut off a few times. “Master Ou, I wasn’t going to introduce Old Craftsman to you.”
Master Lu was dumbfounded, and he finally looked away to glance at Zhong Yunda and Wang Zhongtong. “The two of you are…”
Zhong Yunda answered coldly, “We’re blacksmiths from the Immense Forest Military Camp’s Armament Camp. Greetings, Master Lu.”
“I see, you’re from the same trade too. Hehe, hehe…” Master Lu was ashamed. Upon seeing the look on his face, Ou Yangming almost burst out laughing. Li Xinfan shook his head helplessly, and it was evident that he was also slightly speechless about Master Lu’s character.
“Master Lu, this is Master Ou Yangming. Please come and meet him.”
Following that, Master Lu turned to look at Ou Yangming by following General Li’s gesture. The master blinked his eyes hard and questioned, “Master? You’re saying he…”
Li Xinfan uttered with a deep voice, “Master Lu, Master Ou’s a real blacksmith master, and you should ask him for advice.” “Ask him for advice?” Master Lu rolled his eyes and looked at Ou Yangming again, but he was clearly in disdain.
In other aspects, the master would not mind for the sake of the general, but in terms of smithing skill, he was extremely confident. “General, you have no idea that smithing art is a skill that requires profound experience Without enough experience, it’s useless no matter how gifted a person is. Hey, Ou Yangming? This name sounds familiar…”
Li Xinfan did not know to cry or to laugh. “Master Lu, you still remember Ou Yangming’s name. It’s… Not easy!”
A person next to Master Lu went closer to him and whispered in his ear.
“Oh, it’s him.” Master Lu instantly understood the situation, and he gave Ou Yangming a thumbs up. “Young fella, you did
great.”
Old Craftsman immediately noted, “Little Ming, Master Lu just praised you, so aren’t you going to thank him!”
Ou Yangming thought with a bitter smile, ‘Should I act like I’m overwhelmed to make the old man happy?’
Master Lu was surprised. “Old Craftsman, how is he related to you?”
“He’s my disciple, and I taught him by myself.” The old man looked up and replied to the master proudly. Indeed, having taught a disciple like Ou Yangming was the greatest pride in his life.
The master had a gentle look in his eyes right away. “Oh, he’s your disciple. Mm, he should be skillful enough to be an assistant here.”
That said, Master Lu felt strange because the atmosphere around him became different as soon as he gave the statement.
Whether it was Li Xinfan or the guards around him, they all looked odd. In particular, their eyes displayed a certain color that made him feel uncomfortable.
‘It’s as though… As though I’ve become a clown, and they find me funny,’ the master thought.
Master Lu reached out his hand to touch his face and his neck. ‘Do I have too much dust on me today, is that why they’re treating me like I’m a joke?’
Chapter 218 - Runes Grinding Tool
Li Xinfan held his forehead and instructed weakly, “Master Lu, stop talking about it…”
&n
bsp; “What?” Master Lu asked because he was puzzled.
General Li sighed deeply, then he turned to look and questioned, “Where’s Chen Yifan? Why didn’t he come?”.
Someone went forward and reported to him, “General, General Chen is holding on to the divine spear. He said he won’t take even half a step out of the courtyard unless his clan’s senior arrives.”
Ou Yangming and the other people were stunned at first, but they quickly burst out laughing because they did not expect a wilful side of Chen Yifan.
“Nonsense!” Li Xinfan twitched his mouth and remarked. Nonetheless, if he was in General Chen’s shoes and his cultivation base was lacking, he would probably make a similar choice too.
“Master Lu, Master Ou has excellent achievements in smithing art. You should have some discussions with him, and I’m sure it’ll be extremely helpful for your study.” Li Xinfan curbed his thoughts and stressed, “You mustn’t belittle him because he’s young!”
The master looked seriously at Ou Yangming and furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, “Okay. Old Craftsman, how capable is your apprentice? What kind of equipment is he adept in?” old Craftsman cleared his throat and answered, “This apprentice of mine is a bit talented; he’s adept in smithing any kind of equipment.”
“Oh?” Master Lu’s eyes glowed, and he was finally interested. He had not met Old Craftsman many times, but he knew very well that the old man was not a person who spoke carelessly.
“Ou Yangming, you must have your forte for Old Craftsman to give you such high praise.” Master Lu nodded. He spoke as if he prided himself for being a veteran, “What’s the highest grade and rank you’ve accomplished in equipment smithing?”
“Magic tool,” Ou Yangming replied to the master honestly.
‘Oh, magic… What? What tool?” Master Lu was unbothered at first, but his face changed completely after he uttered the word ‘magic’.
Old Craftsman chuckled. “Master Ou, my apprentice has some understanding of magic tools, and he succeeded in smithing one by chance.”
Master Lu opened his mouth slowly to the point that it became round. As he stared at the old man, he felt as though his brain was filled with paste.
His eyes wandered about as he took his time to look at Li Xinfan and the other people.
Perhaps the master suspected he was hearing things in the beginning, but when he looked at everyone’s expression, he was certain that he heard it right.
‘A magic tool… They’re really talking about a magic tool…’
“Impossible! Apart from the imperial familiar, who else can smith a magic tool?” Master Lu mumbled. His eyes shone out of the blue as he shouted, “Where’s the magic tool? Let me see it!”
A thought crossed Ou Yangming’s mind. ‘Looks like I’m not the only one who grasped the state of a mountain not being a mountain, and water not being water; the powerful imperial family has already started smithed magic tools a long time ago. It’s clear from Master Lu’s reaction that the current generation in the imperial family isn’t the only generation that has the ability.’
Li Xinfan let out a dry cough and assured the master. “Master Lu, I can guarantee that Master Ou Yangming has indeed smithed a magic tool. The tool is now with General Chen Yifan, but he’s not willing to leave the courtyard.” Master Lu was so impatient that he tweaked his ears and scratched his cheeks. He wanted very badly to run over to the courtyard to appraise the tool at once. General Li quickly said, “Master Lu, the magic tool won’t run away since it doesn’t have legs, so you can take a look at it at any time. On the other hand, if Master Ou Yangming leaves, you won’t have anyone to discuss the matter with.”
Master Lu was startled, and he smiled embarrassedly. “I was too excited about the tool, so please forgive me.”
Old Craftsman waved his hand as he understood how the master felt at that moment. If the same situation happened to him, he would have run away from everyone’s sight long ago.
“Master Lu, you’re Changlong County’s number one smithing master. How about you tell us your probl;em? Although we can’t help, a fool might hit on a good idea. For all you know, you might even gain something!” Ou Yangming nodded. “Yes, I can also come to work as an assistant!”
Old Craftsman was displeased, and he glared at the young fellow. “Nonsense, shut up!”
Ou Yangming immediately shut up. He would attack a Supreme Great Ancestor without any hesitation but would not have the guts to talk back to Old Craftsman.
Nevertheless, Master Lu blushed because he finally understood why everyone else looked at him strangely when he said he could let Ou Yangming become an assistant.
Letting a blacksmith who could smith a magic tool to become an assistant…
Master Lu was so humiliated that he wanted to dig a hole in the ground to bury his head.
He only curbed his thoughts after some time when Old Craftsman consoled him. The master disclosed, “Everyone, I’ve been studying for ten years about a way to upgrade a piece of equipment’s grade on a large scale. The most basic type of equipment still has to be smithed by ordinary blacksmiths, but they can only smith pieces of equipment of Common Grade Rank Two at most. Ah, it’s incredibly difficult to advance further.”
Ou Yangming frowned and asked, “Master Ou, is Rank Two the achievable limit?”
Master Lu nodded. “Common Grade Rank Two is in fact the best result that we’ve achieved throughout the years. In the beginning, we could only attain Common Grade Rank One.”
The young fellow looked at Old Craftsman in shock because he recalled the days when he smithed pieces of equipment under the old man’s guidance before he gained the Military Fire.
Despite that, Ou Yangming only knew how to fix and restore the pieces of equipment, but he remembered that even the ordinary blacksmiths in the military camp could smith something of High Grade.
Old Craftsman sighed and cleared his doubt. “The equivalent rank wouldn’t be so low if the cost isn’t an issue. Since they’re looking to carry out a large-scale smithing process, there must be a fixed cost and a date of completion. Hence, Common Grade Rank Two is the highest standard that could be fulfilled by blacksmiths in the past generations through plenty of research.”
Ou Yangming nodded with bright eyes.
Sure enough, many tricks could not be employed if the cost and time were restrained. In that case, the ordinary blacksmiths did a great job by smithing pieces of equipment in Common Grade Rank Two.
Old Craftsman turned to raise a serious question, “Master Lu, this is a difficult problem, and there hasn’t been a breakthrough even though the study has been carried out for generations. Are you suddenly interested in it because you discovered something new?” Master Lu’s eyes shone the moment it was brought up. “That’s right. The normal method can’t be applied if we want to upgrade a piece of equipment’s grade in a shorter period while lowering the cost. However, I accidentally came across something when I learned the Suit Runes ten years ago, so I managed to come up with something great.”
Ou Yangming cast a look at Ni Yunhong as a thought crossed his mind.
“Ten years ago, he came to my clan and learned the Suit Smithing Technique on the surface, but he ended up achieving something from it,” the Ni family’s eldest young master said softly with a smile on his face. He added after a pause, “The batch of arm guards that I brought to the Immense Forest Military Camp was produced by him.” Ou Yangming could not help but laugh. “I thought they were your masterpieces.”
Ni Yunhong shook his head. “I’m still inexperienced, so it’s still beyond my capability.”
When Master Lu gave an order, someone instantly brought a pair of arm guards. He introduced the item with deep pleasure, “This is something I made after ten years of study. Please take a look at it.”
Ou Yangming and the other blacksmiths reached out to take the arm guards. They did not have a high grade and rank as they were only in Good Grade Rank One, but nobody dared to treat it lightly a
fter hearing Master Lu’s introduction.
This was because the arm guards were not forged by powerhouse Military Fire Blacksmiths, they were made by the ordinary ironsmiths. It was more surprising that the set of equipment was smithed without a huge increase in cost or time.
Ou Yangming studied the arm guards closely. The numerous pieces of equipment that he smithed in the past could easily beat the arm guard, but he was not conceited at all after being told its background. The Military Fire flashed in his palm for a split second, causing the arm guard’s attributes to be revealed to him.
[Item: Outstanding arm guard) (Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank One] [Attributes: Toughness +6, Durability 5] The normal attributes did not deserve to be paid attention to, but any blacksmith would be curious if one knew the item’s background.
Even Ou Yangming had to put some thought and effort into smithing a piece of equipment like that. Besides, it would be quite shocking to say an ordinary blacksmith could smith a piece of equipment of this level with an iron ingot in a short span of time.
Ou Yangming was feeling rather regretful. ‘On that night when I fought against Ni Yunhong, why didn’t I take an arm guard to look into it…’
The young fellow’s eyes lit up some moment later as he gently brushed his hand across the inside of one of the arm guards. “Veined patterns!”
Inside the arm guard, some peculiar veined patterns could be found. They were distinctive and could not be compared with ordinary decorations.
Master Lu nodded and explained, “Yes, this is the inspiration that I got from Suit Runes, and I designed a considerable amount of veined patterns. Unfortunately, throughout these past ten years, only this set of veined patterns are effective.”
Old Craftsman pondered for a while before he asked, “Were these veined patterns branded onto the equipment?”
“You’re right. We smithed the mold and branded the arm guards when they took form. It was only an extra procedure, but the arm guards’ grade and quality were improved.” Master Lu sounded proud. “We don’t have enough molds yet, but once we do, the arm guards that we smith in the future will be at least of Good Grade.”
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 130
