Chapter 19 (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Ou Yangming did not wait for long at Old Craftsman’s smithing workshop before the old man returned with a radiant face.

Joyful happenings resounded in one’s spirit and it somehow made Old Craftsman look younger.

Nevertheless, the old man’s face darkened again when he heard about the conflict between Ou Yangming and Han Changling.

He sneered. “Hehe, Han Changling isn’t that daring. Someone must’ve instructed him to do that.”

Ou Yangming’s face changed. “Old man, you’re saying…”

“We’ll talk about this next time. Come, I’ll show you something good!” Old Craftsman waved his hand, then put down the odd-shaped ores that he was carrying, and was very careful so as to not break anything.

In actual fact, while the ores were not as tough as gold or iron, they were not as fragile as eggs. Even if someone were to throw them on the ground, nothing would happen to them. However, they were priceless items to Old Craftsman, so he would never treat them with disrespect.

Ou Yangming took a step closer to glance at them, then asked earnestly, “Old Man, what are these?”

“Hehe, young fella, these are precious ores, and they have magical uses!” Old Craftsman spoke in a somewhat exaggerated tone, then he picked one up. “Look, though this one looks like an ordinary hard ore, it’s actually a rare Power Ore. If it’s incorporated into a weapon, it’ll increase the user’s power.”

Ou Yangming’s eyes glowed, and he instantly recalled the attribute of power +1 that he found at the abandoned armory.

Back then, he was uncertain what it meant, but after using a weapon, he finally understood its source and function.

‘It can increase one’s power. Mm, it’s a good thing, but I’ll have to confirm its effect after I try it.’

“This is Agility Ore, which increases a user’s speed.” Old Craftsman lifted another ore, then proceeded to show Ou Yangming the rest of the precious ores. “The general’s really generous, he gave us ten precious ores!”

Ou Yangming was touched. “Old Man, didn’t General Chen give you a Blood-thirsty Ore previously? Is that a precious ore too?”

Old Craftsman nodded seriously. “Yes, but the Blood-thirsty Ore is a high-end precious ore, and General Chen put in a lot of effort to get it. Hehe, the general asked me to smith an armament for him because he trusts me, so I must do it well.”

Ou Yangming nodded. “Old man, are there only Power Ores and Agility Ores here? What about others?”

“Hmph, you haven’t learned to crawl, but you already want to run? You’re such a greedy fella. There are many others who wish to practice with basic precious ores, are you going to be picky?” Old Craftsmen stared at him snappily, then tapped Ou Yangming’s head. “If you speak nonsense again, I won’t let you touch any of them!”

Although he sounded ruthless, Ou Yangming knew that he always left the best things for him.

Later, Old Craftsman said, “Young fella, you’re qualified to be a real Military Fire Blacksmith now, so I should teach you my secret skills.”

Ou Yangming quickly straightened his body. “Old man, please.”

“The armaments that we normally forge are separated into four grades; Common, Good, High, and Fine. They’re collectively known as White Slate Armaments,” Old Craftsman explained. He continued after a short pause, “Apart from that, if armaments are created with a unique ability, they become Attribute Armaments. Hehe, Attribute Armaments are amazing, and each of them is a super treasure, so much so that people will do whatever it takes to get one!”

Ou Yangming looked at the precious ores, then asked, “Old Man, are Attribute Armaments made by incorporating armaments with these precious ores?”

Old Craftsman nodded. “That’s right, but it’s not easy to attach attributes successfully to an armament when precious ores are used.” He sighed. “Even though I’ve been working on it for a long time, my success rate is only around thirty percent. It’s too difficult, it’s really too difficult…”

Ou Yangming rolled his eyes around. “Old Man, are Attribute Armaments separated into different colors?”

Old Craftsman chuckled. “You’re quite smart. Normally, those with an extra attribute are known as Red Armaments, those with two extra attributes are known as Orange Armaments… In increasing order, it’s Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, and Purple. Oh, I heard that there’s a higher grade that’s known as a Golden attribute, but that’s only a legend. I’ve never seen it before.”

Ou Yangming calculated in his head, then questioned, “Old Man, does Purple have seven attributes then?” He was doubtful. “You’ve seen it before?”

Old Craftsman was speechless, and his face slowly darkened. He scolded, “B*stard, what does it have to do with you if I’ve seen it before or not? Listen, I’ll be teaching you how to smith with a precious ore, and you must memorize everything word by word. If you make even the slightest mistake…” He looked around the room, then picked up a burning staff. “I’ll let you know why flowers are so red!”

Ou Yangming felt a chill down his spine, and he smiled bitterly. “Old man, when did you upgrade your staff? If you hit me with that, I’ll be half-dead!”

Old Craftsman giggled. “Nonsense. Didn’t you acquire Dantian Light? You’re a Force Grade martial artist, so this staff won’t kill you. You’ll only suffer pain for a few days, and your memory will improve.”

Ou Yangming was stunned, and he cried to himself. ‘I didn’t know that being a martial artist had its cons too. If I knew, I wouldn’t have revealed anything to him, no matter what.’

Half an hour later, similar conversations were heard in the room.

“Do you remember it?”

“Yes!”

“Repeat it.”

“Yes, if I want to melt a precious ore, firstly…. Secondly… Thirdly, jeez, why did you hit me?”

“Idiot, you can’t even memorize the formula. Who should I hit if not you!”