Ou Yangming looked at the old man for a long time, but that was the only reply he got, so he quickly asked again, “Old Man, what else?”
Old Craftsman looked at him suspiciously. “Didn’t I just tell you? Mental power is very mighty.”
“I know, but what else?” Ou Yangming twitched his mouth. In actual fact, being an owner of mental power, he knew better than Old Craftsman how mighty and fearsome the power was.
Since the power allowed him to dodge Yan Haobo’s saber-light range discreetly, it could also allow him to catch his enemies off guard by attacking them secretly.
In other words, it was a more peculiar energy and a tougher one to be used as compared to essential Qi. If Ou Yangming could manipulate it, the effects would be significant.
“I told you everything I know,” Old Craftsman responded snappily.
“Are you saying that you only know that mental power is very mighty?” Ou Yangming was stunned.
“Yes.” Old Craftsman was calm. “Isn’t it mighty?”
Ou Yangming stuttered. He was certain that he asked the wrong person.
“B*stard, mental power can’t be possessed by normal people, and it’s very difficult to practice and manipulate. At least, I don’t know how to do it.” Upon seeing Ou Yangming’s baffled look, Old Craftsman could not help but laugh. He paused for a while, then added, “You’re probably gifted with mental power, but don’t make blind speculation. Oh, you’ve gone out a few times lately, are you seeing someone in town?”
Ou Yangming smiled bitterly. It was true that he sneaked out of the military camp every now and then, but he had been hunting at the dense forest’s border to replenish his Qi and blood. He always left and returned in haste, and was often covered in a bloody smell, so he did not have time to think about anything else.
“Old Man, you shouldn’t make blind speculation too.” Ou Yangming was suddenly moved, so he said, “I haven’t gone to the town for a long time. I’ll go there this time, and I’ll bring you some good wine.”
“Young fella, at least you have a little conscience. Go ahead.” Old Craftsman chuckled. He thought for a moment, then instructed, “The monthly bazaar is probably starting, so take a look at the ore section and bring something back if they’re worthy.”
Ou Yangming responded to him, then left the smithing workshop, and picked a few pieces of equipment from his courtyard to bring them to the equipment depot.
Xiong Gaoan stood up as soon as he noticed Ou Yangming, and flattered him by asking him earnestly to sit down as he served him tea. However, he kept glancing at Ou Yangming’s bag.
Ou Yangming found it funny and interesting. “These are a few pieces of equipment that I refined recently. There are five that are of High Grade, an Attribute Equipment of Good Grade, and the rest are normal ones of Good Grade.”
“Okay.” Xiong Gaoan smiled so brightly that his eyes were squinted.
In actual fact, while there were many Military Fire Blacksmiths in the military camp, every master smithed a limited amount of equipment each month. Moreover, most of the products were of Good Grade, and it was extremely rare to have High Grade ones, let alone Attribute Equipment. A normal Military Fire Blacksmith received ten precious ores a month, but most of them only submitted one Attribute Equipment.
Ou Yangming had actually finished his task for the month, because he already stored two pieces of Attribute Equipment in the depot. Since he brought an extra one, Xiong Gaoan was elated.
Xiong Gaoan checked the equipment carefully, and recorded it to be stored. “Master Ou, you’re really worthy of being Old Craftsman’s disciple. It’s truly amazing that you refined three pieces of Attribute Equipment in a month.”
Ou Yangming shook his head. “The old man is more brilliant than me. He’s able to achieve three in ten, whereas I only achieved three in twenty.
He retrieved ten more precious ores when he submitted two pieces of Attribute Equipment previously, which amounted to twenty precious ores for that month.
“Master Ou, as long as you achieve the two-in-ten quota every month, it doesn’t matter if you ask for more precious ores after that. As for the other ores, you only have to achieve one in ten,” Xiong Gaoan quickly responded, then gulped before he asked eagerly, “Are you here to withdraw more ores? I’ll ask someone to send you more!”
“I don’t need them in a hurry. I’m here to withdraw some silver this time.” Ou Yangming waved his hand.
“Ah, I forgot.” Xiong Gaoan slapped his forehead. He smiled as he said, “You’re now an official MIlitary Fire Blacksmith in the military, and a master who achieves a two-in-ten quota for Attribute Equipment. As such, your salary is equivalent to a centurion’s, which is thirty taels of fine silver a month.”
Ou Yangming’s heart skipped a beat. Being an orphan, although he had come in contact with over thirty taels of gold and silver in his life thus far, he never received this much at once.
Xiong Gaoan grinned. “Master Ou, I’ll prepare the banknotes for you now. Are you going to the town’s money shop to store them?”
“The bazaar is being held today, so I’d like to see if any special mineral will catch my eyes.” Ou Yangming shook his head subconsciously.
“I see, please wait for a moment.” Xiong Gaoan was stunned.
He left and returned after 15 minutes. However, instead of returning alone, he brought Kang Weibo to the depot.
Kang Weibo laughed upon seeing Ou Yangming. “Brother Ou, I heard that you’re going to the town’s bazaar?”
Ou Yangming quickly stood up to greet him with a bow. After all, Kang Weibo was the Armament Camp’s supervisor, so he must not be impolite.
“Brother Ou, we’re brothers, so you don’t have to do this.” Nonetheless, Kang Weibo quickly took a step forward to support him by his arm as a way to stop him. He then took three banknotes from his pocket. “Look, are these enough?”
When Ou Yangming accepted them and took a look at them, he was dumbfounded.
He was not illiterate as he was taught by Old Craftsman, and at the very least, he definitely knew the words ‘ten’ and ‘hundred’.
After flipping the notes to check them again, he expressed, “Sir Kang, I asked for thirty taels…”
Kang Weibo waved his hand. “Brother Ou, they’re from the public fund, and I’m giving them to you to purchase ores. If you manage to buy something, report them to Gaoan afterward. As for the ores, you can just use them for smithing because it’s troublesome to send them here.”
Ou Yangming widened his mouth, and he replied after some time, “What if, what if I fail to smith something?”
Kang Weibo answered without hesitation, “If you fail, so be it! Military Fire Blacksmiths like you smith many pieces of high-level equipment, how can you not fail at all?”
Ou Yangming almost choked on his saliva when he heard the confident reply.
He did not need to show them the ores bought as he only needed to report to them, and would not be blamed for failing to smith equipment with the ores…
Even a fool could tell that Kang Weibo was simply giving him silver as a gift.
After looking at Kang Weibo strangely, Ou Yangming kept the banknotes. “I understand, thank you, Sir Kang.”
Kang Weibo laughed out loud. “Brother Ou, picking ores is a difficult thing. I suggest you rest a night in the town and return tomorrow.”
Ou Yangming agreed to him, then left the military camp where Kang Weibo and Xiong Gaoan sent him off.
When Ou Yangming touched the three banknotes, he sighed. Sure enough, things had been very different for him in the past.
There was a town 1.5 kilometers outside the military camp, which was initially meant to provide the camp with various supplies, and its scale was not very big. As time passed, more people settled down in the town, hence it became bigger in scale, and its population grew bigger than the military camp’s. Furthermore, the annual bazaar was always crowded and lively.
Ou Yangming planned to walk there at
first, but Kang Weibo insisted that he traveled by carriage. The cart driver was a diligent man from the town, and he showed Ou Yangming his home after dropping him off. “Sir, let me know when you want to leave, I can send you back any time.”
After thanking the cart driver, Ou Yangming entered the town.
He was familiar with the town as he visited it a few times back when he roamed about. This time, he visited with a different attitude.
While looking at the streets that did not change much, he smiled plainly.
All of a sudden, there was a disturbance in the crowd ahead, and the passersby cleared a path as a thin person fled in any path he could. Behind him, a few tall and burly men cursed while pursuing him.
Ou Yangming could tell at once that the big men were much faster than the thin man.
As expected, before long, one of the big men caught up to the thin man and kicked him hard on his butt.
“Argh…”
The thin man shrieked and staggered before falling to the ground. He was in so much pain that he could not get up anymore.
Nevertheless, Ou Yangming noticed earlier that the seemingly fierce kick was actually a merciful one because a kick on the man’s lower back would have been more deadly.
The big man pulled the young fellow up. “B*stard, how dare you steal from Military Master? Are you tired of living?”
A young man around Ou Yangming’s age was seen grimacing in pain on the ground.
When the other big men surrounded the young man, one of them suddenly called out to Ou Yangming and bowed at him, “Master Ou!”
Ou Yangming could not help but chuckle. The person was Yan Chengcai who visited him yesterday, and he did not expect to meet him here today.
Chapter 40
The men beside Yan Chengcai were stunned too. Although he was the quiet one among them, he was the strongest. After all, the best fighter in the military camp was always the most respected one.
Therefore, after seeing Yan Chengcai’s attitude, they thought somewhat highly of Ou Yangming too even though they did not know who he was.
Ou Yangming nodded slightly. “Did he steal your pouch?”
Yan Chengcai nodded. “Yes, he’s very fast, and he almost got it.”
For some reason, Ou Yangming felt compassion for the young man who was groaning on the floor. He thought about himself because he could not have made it to where he was if he had not met Old Craftsman by chance, who even took him in after. Perhaps the young man in front of him would have been his ending.
“Brother Yan, what do you plan to do with him?”
Yan Chengcai hesitated for a while. “We’ll cripple the hand that he used to steal.”
After all, the town was actually built for the military camp. Though the military had strict rules, if someone attempted to bully a soldier, the military superiors would choose to protect the soldier even if one were to kill the bully by accident, let alone if one broke the bully’s limb.
A fearful look was seen on the young man’s face as he implored with his eyes.
Ou Yangming sighed. “Brother Yan, let him go for my sake.”
“Okay.” Yan Chengcai was stunned. He could not understand why Ou Yangming sympathized with the man, but he could not decline him too.
“Big Bull, let him go, and let him leave.”
The strong man who was lifting the young man hesitated for a while before dropping him hard to the ground. “B*stard, you’re in luck!”
After giving Ou Yangming a kowtow, the young man endured the pain as he stood up, then escaped.
Yan Chengcai asked softly, “Master Ou, you’re in town because…”
Ou Yangming did not hide it from him. “I’m here for the bazaar to see if I can bring some ores back.”
“Master Ou, I’m very familiar with this place. How about I guide you around?” Yan Chengcai’s eyes glowed.
Ou Yangming could not help but chuckle. He was familiar with the town too, but since Yan Chengcai just did him a favor, it was not like him to leave like that.
Yan Chengcai was elated when he received Ou Yangming’s permission, and he began bringing him around the town happily. On the other hand, the other men who followed behind them were confused as they did not know why their proud boss fawned over the young man.
They arrived at a bustling area after taking a few turns.
The bazaar was held around the same time every month, where people from different places came to trade, thus the place was jam-packed with people.
Nevertheless, Yan Chengcai did not bring Ou Yangming into the crowd. They entered a shop instead.
“Master Ou, the mobile stalls outside are disorderly. God knows what ores they’re selling! On the contrary, this shop has been here for a hundred years, and customers are treated with honesty, so you get what you pay for,” Yan Chengcai mentioned, “We come here when we have enough money to buy equipment.”
Ou Yangming nodded. In actual fact, he was well-informed about the shop, but he never planned to shop here.
After all, he could very well make a request if he wanted ores, and it would be a smooth process for him due to his current status in the Armament Camp. Even if Zhang Yinfan would aim at him, Kang Weibo would bear the responsibility.
A Military Fire Blacksmith who could provide three pieces of Attribute Equipment a month and was comparable with Old Craftsman was worth protecting at all costs.
Ou Yangming initially wanted to take a look at the bazaar to see if he could pick up something great, but since he was already at the shop, he might as well looked around.
It was evident that Yan Chengcai was a regular customer because he was instantly attended to by a friendly person.
“Ah, Military Master, you’re here again. Please, come in and have a rest!” A person who seemed to be the shopkeeper approached him with a smile.
Yan Chengcai nodded then said, “Master Ou, this is Shopkeeper Lin. He’s bold, forthright, and someone worth getting acquainted with.”
‘He’s so young, how is he a master?’ Shopkeeper Lin raised his eyebrow, and was puzzled when he looked at Ou Yangming. Nevertheless, he dealt with all sorts of customers all year long, so he did not express it through his face.
“Military Master, this is…”
Yan Chengcai stuck his chest out when he answered, “This is Master Ou Yangming, the youngest Military Fire Blacksmith in our military camp.”
‘Isn’t he just a Military Fire Blacksmith? He probably isn’t very capable since he’s so young,’ Shopkeeper Lin wondered even after finding out Ou Yangming’s identity, but he looked delighted.
Right then, an indifferent voice was heard coming from the door. “Oh, so this is Old Craftsman’s helper. Hehe, he’s just a young fella who just sensed the Military Fire, does he deserve to be called a master?”
Everyone was startled, so they quickly turned to look. Yan Chengcai was furious.
It seemed like he had been slapped in the face because he had just introduced Ou Yangming.
Ou Yangming was also triggered. He could obviously tell the person’s ill intention through his words, but he could not figure out who the voice belonged to.
Afterward, a number of men entered the shop one after another. They were equally burly and had sharp eyes, and did not seem inferior to Yan Chengcai and his men at all.
Since Ou Yangming stayed in the military camp for a long time, he could tell by looking at their steps that they were soldiers too. In fact, they were elite soldiers who underwent strict training.
“Huang Jingtian, what nonsense are you talking about?” Yan Chengcai yelled when he realized who the leader was.
“Yang Chengcai, stop putting gold on that fella’s face. Hehe, he’s Old Craftsman’s helper. I wonder if he put a spell on the old man or if the old man pitied him, I can’t believe that he was given a chance to acquire the Military Fire. That being said, the fella benefited from it because not only did he not work hard after stimulating the fire, but he also submitted the armaments smithed
by Old Craftsman and claimed he produced them instead,” The leader was a young man around Yan Chengcai’s age, and he spoke scornfully, “Ask him! Is it true, or not?”
The rest instantly had a strange look on their face, whereas the men behind Huang Jingtian were disdainful. While Shopkeeper Lin had the same facial expression, he secretly belittled Ou Yangming. As for the men behind Yan Chengcai, they looked embarrassed.
Ou Yangming’s age was actually very deceptive. Unless one witnessed his smithing process like Old Craftsman, Chen Yifan, and Sui Hezhi did, it was extremely difficult for one to believe that his control over the Military Fire was not inferior to Old Craftsman at all.
“You, you’re making a dirty accusation…” Yan Chengcai shouted with a reddened face.
Huang Jingtian curled his lips. “Alright, enough with the acting. Aren’t you only flattering Old Craftsman so that he’ll smith weapons for your general? Hehe, I’m telling you that the old man with an unearned reputation is not going to be the chief of Military Fire Blacksmiths anymore soon!”
Ou Yangming raised his eyebrows. He was deeply infuriated.
He heard rumors that he handed in the armaments smithed by Old Craftsman and faked that he made them, but he was not bothered at all, and did not plan to explain himself. In any case, Old Craftsman was not going to care about the rumor at all too because it would confuse the public.
Hence, Ou Yangming did not mind no matter what Huang Jingtian said about him, and was secretly glad. The further the rumor spread, the happier he was.
However, he could not stand it when Huang Jingtian mentioned that Old Craftsman had an undeserving reputation.
A strong, indescribable rage rose inside of him as he glared. “Old Man is the chief of Military Fire Blacksmiths in the military be it the past, the present, or the future…”
Huang Jingtian laughed and derided him. “Oh, looks like you’re not aware? Our general just invited a real master from the prefecture. Hehe, once he performs his skills, can Old Craftsman still secure the throne?”
The faces of Yan Chengcai and the others changed. Although they did not interact much with Old Craftsman, everyone in the military camp knew that he was smithing a weapon for General Chen Yifan, and a new master would undoubtedly cause a negative impact, which would be disadvantageous.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 24