Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725

by Heaven's White Crane

  Everyone seemed confident at the moment.

  The pieces of equipment that they smithed were at least of Common Grade Rank Two, hence they had almost become official blacksmiths when the bell rang.

  On the contrary, Ou Yangming looked calm, which was entirely different from the other excited participants.

  It was not that Ou Yangming was being asocial, but because he honestly could not feel thrilled and delighted.

  The military saber on the casting table in front of him was not of Common Grade, but it was far from a magic tool.

  It would only be unbelievable if a blacksmith master, who could smith magic tools, cheered for a piece of ordinary equipment.

  Jin Shengjie cleared his throat and flashed a friendly smile. “Everyone, your assessment has ended, so we’ll be inspecting your products now. Assessments are considered a form of practice, thus whether you succeed or fail today, you must continue to practice smithing from today onward.”

  “Yes, thank you for your pointer, Master Jin,” the candidates responded with a fist salute as though they had practiced it in advance for a hundred or a thousand times.

  Of course, they could not have rehearsed it together before this, but the judges would always say a few words of encouragement after each assessment, and they were already used to giving the same response.

  Ou Yangming was slightly stunned. He was obviously late to cup his hands together, so he seemed a little out of place.

  Jin Shengjie made his way to the venue’s center with a smile. He approached the first candidate and picked up the small round shield to briefly scan it, then he announced, “Common Grade Rank Three, pass.” The candidate was quite young; he seemed to be only slightly older than Ou Yangming. He immediately did a fist salute and uttered loudly, “Thank you, Master Jin!”

  “Continue to work hard and become a Rudimentary Blacksmith as soon as possible.” Jin Shengjie chuckled.

  That person was so agitated that he could not let out a word, so he nodded hard and was about to cry tears of joy.

  Ou Yangming rubbed his nose and thought, ‘Didn’t you just become an official blacksmith? Why did you give such an exaggerated reaction?’

  Nonetheless, he did not know that many conditions that could be enjoyed in the big city were far better than what one could get in remote areas. Similarly, the competition and the pressure was greater in the capital, which was proportionate with the benefits. Other than relying on one’s clan and senior’s help, it would be incredibly tough for one to be successful.

  The candidate did not have a powerful background. Apart from his effort, he was able to be distinguished because of his hard work, as well as extreme luck. Hence, the man was agitated when he was praised by Jin Shengjie.

  Jin Shengjie had seen many similar situations, thus he comforted the person with a smile and walked toward the next participant. The blacksmith master had an outstanding level of attainment in smithing art, and his appraisal art was also out of the ordinary. If not, while he could identify the shield to be of Common Grade, he could not have had the guts to state its rank.

  Perhaps Jin Shengjie wanted to save time, he appraised and talked faster than before.

  After all, there were three more rank assessments after the Official Blacksmith Assessment.

  He only used half an hour to appraise roughly 30 pieces of equipment, and he conversed briefly with the candidates, making them feel delighted, as if they had just bathed in the spring breeze. Finally, Jin Shengjie approached Ou Yangming.

  Due to Ou Yangming’s question at the beginning, nobody wanted to stay near him. He was eye-catching as he stood alone, which was also why Jin Shengjie went to him last. Jin Shengjie looked deeply at Ou Yangming and asked, “Young fella, were you born from Changlong County?” Ou Yangming nodded. “Yes.” “Do you happen to know Master Lu?” Jin Shengjie smiled all of a sudden.

  “Yes, I do,” Ou Yangming answered in shock.

  A complicated look could be seen in Jin Shengjie’s eyes as he expressed, “Okay, I hope you’ll surprise me today.”

  The faces of Yi Yucheng and Feng Guangyuan, who were behind him, changed as they seemed to have recalled something. They looked grave when they stared at the military saber on the casting table. As for the other people, they wondered why there was suddenly a huge change in Jin Shengjie’s attitude.

  It was worth noting that the 30 over people in the venue were blacksmiths who had acquired the Military Fire for about a year. Although they were more or less different due to their talents and efforts, the disparity was limited to a certain standard, so Jin Shengjie-a Superior Blacksmith—could not be surprised at all.

  On the spur of the moment, the crowd was exceedingly curious.

  ‘What exactly are the young fella’s background and ability?’ Jin Shengjie moved his wrist to retrieve the military saber. A flash was seen in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the weapon.

  Next, his eyes glowed all of a sudden. Even though the blacksmith master was mentally prepared, and he tried his best to suppress the shock, he could not fully control himself.

  Feng Guangyuan and Yi Yucheng looked at each other strangely. ‘Why did Elder Jin suddenly forget himself? Could the rumor be true?’

  “Master Jin, what’s the weapon’s grade and rank?” Yi Yucheng asked softly.

  Jin Shengjie took a deep breath and looked meaningfully at Ou Yangming. He later handed Yi Yucheng the military saber. “Take a look at it yourself…”

  Yi Yucheng was not an appraiser, but he was an Advanced Blacksmith, after all. As such, he could naturally get a rough idea of the military saber’s equivalent rank as it was a piece of ordinary equipment.

  He accepted the military saber and studied it for some time before he shrieked, “Impossible!”

  The blacksmith looked up and stared at Ou Yangming as though he was looking at a giant ancient beast. The look in his eyes was indescribable, and it was so comprehensive that it could not be perceived.

  Feng Guangyuan tensed up a little and thought, ‘The legend must be true; the military saber might’ve broken through Common Grade’s barrier and arrived at Good Grade. Even so, you don’t have to react like that… Don’t you know that screaming in public will ruin your popularity?’

  It was true that a blacksmith was a respected profession, but there was quite a cruel competition in this trade.

  Even if two blacksmiths of the same level smithed customized pieces of equipment, there would be a huge gap between their rewards.

  The higher the equipment’s equivalent rank, the more obvious the difference between their rewards.

  Yi Yucheng was a rather steady man, but the fact that he lost control and shouted in public was enough to lower his image.

  “Heh, see it for yourself!” Jin Shengjie chuckled.

  Feng Guangyuan responded to him and took the military saber from Yi Yucheng. He wondered, ‘Since this is a piece of Good Grade equipment, I definitely won’t be shocked. Hehe, I’ll be superior to Yi Yucheng today…

  ‘Good Grade, Good Grade… Hey? This isn’t right. Its toughness, its luster, its tenacity…’ “This is impossible!” Feng Guangyuan looked up abruptly.

  He only realized what he had done after he roared, but he could not be bothered anymore. This was because the blacksmith finally understood why Jin Shengjie and Yi Yucheng lost their self-control just now.

  The military saber was not a Good Grade weapon.

  It was a High Grade military saber.

  Yes, a High Grade military saber.

  Common, Good, High, and Fine.

  Among the four grades, the weapon was a High Grade military saber.

  Those who could smith High Grade military sabers were Intermediate Blacksmiths, but what materials did they use to smith pieces of High Grade equipment? Steel. Only by using steel could one smith a piece of High Grade equipment, and one could not even guarantee a 100% success rate.

  What if someone used ordinary iron ingot?

  Feng Guangyuan knew t
hat even if he was given a thousand or ten thousand chances, perhaps he could smith a piece of Good Grade Rank One equipment, but the chances would be so low that they could be neglected.

  As for the High Grade weapon in his hands…

  If he was told before this that someone could smith a piece of High Grade equipment with ordinary iron ingot, he would certainly spit on that person’s face.

  Eventually, Feng Guangyuan’s hands trembled. He had seen countless pieces of High Grade equipment. In fact, he was an Advanced Blacksmith who could directly smith pieces of Fine Grade equipment.

  However, he somehow felt that the High Grade military saber in his hands weighed as heavy as 500 kilograms, which was an unbearable weight for him.

  The square was dead silent at the moment.

  Even the new official blacksmiths, who cheered with excitement earlier, no longer smiled as they looked at Jin Shengjie and the two other blacksmith masters in confusion.

  As ignorant and as slow as a person was, one could tell from their faces that things had gone out of control.

  Nevertheless, there was something that they could not understand. Why were the blacksmith masters left in awe by a seemingly normal military saber?

  Ou Yangming kept a faint smile on his face throughout. He cleared his throat and asked, “Seniors, may I ask if I passed?”

  The faces of Jin Shengjie and the two other blacksmiths twitched at the same time.

  ‘You were able to smith a piece of High Grade equipment by using ordinary iron ingot. How could you ask if you’ve passed?’

  The three blacksmith masters felt like their faces were burning.

  In particular, Feng Guangyuan and Yi Yucheng flushed with shame, and they wanted very badly to go back in time.

  If they knew Ou Yangming possessed such great smithing art, they would not have the guts to say what they did even if they were killed.

  Chapter 262 - Humbles Himself

  “Hehe, Lil’ Friend, you’re kidding me.” Jin Shengjie curbed his thoughts and quickly flashed a bright smile. “Your suggestion earlier was very right. Please forgive us for not looking into the matter.” “Lil’-Lil’ Friend?”

  “I didn’t hear him wrong, did I…”

  Almost everyone in the square was in a daze at that instant. Although they had a hunch after they saw Jin Shengjie and the two other masters’ reactions just now, they felt like they had just seen a ghost when they heard the words “Lil’ Friend”. ‘Lil’ Friend?’

  ‘Based on Jin Shengjie’s status as a Superior Blacksmith, he shouldn’t humble himself no matter how absurd the case is, should he?’

  In the capital, there were very few blacksmiths whom Jin Shengjie considered as friends. Now, he actually gave such deferential treatment to an unknown young fellow, so what would it make the other people?

  Nonetheless, the crowd was surprised that Yi Yucheng and Feng Guangyuan did not seem to disapprove of the blacksmith master’s action. In fact, they were initially standing tall but had bent their bodies a little.

  It was not an obvious move, but it was clear to those who had decent vision.

  Therefore, after feeling extremely shocked for a while, everyone else focused on Ou Yangming again.

  The young fellow smiled plainly and asked, “Are you saying that I passed?”

  Jin Shengjie answered without any hesitation, “Of course.”

  Ou Yangming smiled cheerfully and questioned, “But can I continue to join the assessment if I’d like to?”

  “If you’re planning to take the Rudimentary Assessment and the Intermediate Assessment, you don’t need to,” Jin Shengjie responded after some thought.

  “Why?” Ou Yangming asked with a smile as he looked up at Yan Yuanhua.

  On the high platform, Yan Yuanhua’s eyelids twitched. He was having an incredibly complicated emotion because at this point even a fool knew Ou Yangming was not an ordinary blacksmith. When Yan Yuanhua recalled the words he said to the young fellow that day, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride.

  Yuan Lexin asked in a deep voice, “Junior Brother Yan, that fella has looked at you a few times. Do you know each other?”

  Yan Yuanhua’s face reddened, and he could not let a word out.

  On the other hand, Jin Shengjie laughed out loud on the stage. “Lil’ Friend, you’ve smithed a piece of High Grade equipment, so there’s naturally no need for you to join the Intermediate Assessment.”

  ‘A piece of High Grade equipment?’

  The ordinary people were surprised when they heard what he said, and they lamented.

  ‘He’s here to take the Official Blacksmith Assessment, yet he smithed a piece of High Grade equipment. Doesn’t that mean that he passed the Intermediate Blacksmith Assessment too? No wonder Master Jin treated him so politely! It turns out that he’s a promoted talent.’

  However, the people on the high platform reacted differently.

  Apart from Jin Shengjie and the two other examiners, the other people who could be seated at the high platform were great blacksmiths. They represented their respective sects to witness the assessment, the most inferior among them was an Intermediate Blacksmith, and there was no lack of Advanced Blacksmiths like Yuan Lexin.

  Hence, they knew better than anyone else what it meant to smith a piece of High Grade equipment using ordinary iron ingot.

  Suddenly, while everyone on the square discussed the matter with one another, it was dead silent on the high platform as everyone stared at the military saber.

  ‘High Grade equipment—is that military saber really a piece of High Grade equipment?’

  Yuan Lexin instantly turned to look at Yan Yuanhua when he heard Jin Shengjie’s statement. He asked word by word, “Junior Brother Yan, how exactly did you become acquainted with him? Tell me honestly and don’t leave out anything!” Yan Yuanhua’s heart sank, and he replied to his senior brother with a bitter face, “Senior Brother, it-it’s a complete misunderstanding…”

  ****

  Ou Yangming grinned on the stage. “Master Jin, will you make an exception if I’d like to take the Advanced Assessment and the Superior Assessment then?”

  Jin Shengjie looked deeply at him before he answered, “I’ll never agree with the request if someone else made it, but if it’s you, Lil’ Friend… Hehe, okay, you may join those two assessments later. I look forward to your surprises.”

  “Thank you, Master Jin.” Ou Yangming did a fist salute. He reached out his hands to pick up the seemingly disordered stones around him, then he casually walked out of the square’s center.

  The young fellow was a nobody when he entered earlier, nobody spared a second glance at him, but he became the center of attention after he left.

  Wherever he passed, the crowd naturally made way for him, and everyone showed him a flattering smile.

  It was worth noting that those who came to spectate were people who were closely related to the blacksmiths, but there were also many people who had a rough understanding of the trade. Thus, they could tell that the teen, who was favored by Master Jin Shengjie, would certainly have a bright future. Even if the spectators could not become friends with Ou Yangming, they could not leave a bad impression.

  Ou Yangming naturally went to Hu Yicheng and nodded at him. “Big Brother Hu, you’ll have to wait for a while more because I’ll be taking two more assessments.”

  “It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s my blessing to be able to keep you company!” Hu Yicheng was already blushing due to the excitement. He later pulled his son to the front and instructed, “Lingfeng, quickly greet your uncle!”

  Hu Lingfeng nodded and greeted, “Uncle Ou.”

  Ou Yangming felt his teeth ache when he looked at the young man, who seemed to be around his age, in front of him. He felt extremely helpless.

  ‘I somehow became an uncle again…’

  He forced a smile and remarked, “Heh, we’re around the same age…”

  “Brother Ou, since we’ve become brothers, Lingfeng must ad
dress you as uncle,” Hu Yicheng immediately explained. He then waved his hand and stressed, “Anything else can still be discussed, but not this!”

  Ou Yangming shook his head helplessly. The young fellow knew why Hu Yicheng was determined to be connected with him, but he did not want to make a fuss about it when he recalled how he was able to acquire the Military Fire because the inspector upheld his principles in the past. ‘I’ll consider him my friend then. If there’s a chance for me to aid him in the future, it won’t be a big deal anyway.’

  Following that, Ou Yangming turned to smile at Du Gaoge. “Shopkeeper Du.”

  “Master Ou, you’ve worked hard. Congratulations, congratulations!” Du Gaoge trembled a little before he laughed out loud and congratulated Ou Yangming in an exaggerated tone. He then stepped forward and kowtowed to the young fellow. “I knew you were being modest about your skill, and I’m fortunate to have met you. I admire you, Master Ou, I admire you!”

  Hu Lingfeng was dumbfounded when he looked at Du Gaoge. He whispered to his father, “Father, didn’t he just say…”

  Du Gaoge was flustered, and he said in a hurry, “I was saying that Master Ou will pass the assessment and shock us all!”

  “Shopkeeper Du is right. Young fella, you should watch and learn!” Hu Yicheng could not help but laugh, and he secretly tugged at his son.

  Hu Lingfeng nodded, but he was very much puzzled.

  Ou Yangming watched everyone’s reaction, but he did not take it to heart. Based on his present ability, why would he care about Du Gaoge’s little opinion?

  “Master Ou, the Rudimentary Assessment and the Intermediate Assessment will take place before the Advanced Assessment, so do you need to take a short break?” Du Gaoge stepped forward and asked the young fellow softly. He pointed outside and said, “The Yi Pavilion has a house property here too, and you’ll surely be pleased!”

  The shopkeeper would not have made such a suggestion before Ou Yangming’s assessment.

  Even though the Yi Pavilion had a house property here, it was not for someone of Ou Yangming’s level. Despite that, Du Gaoge changed his mind at once after Ou Yangming displayed his unbelievable skill in smithing art. This was because the shopkeeper knew he would not be the only one who would serve Ou Yangming from now on.