Chapter 153 - He Who Talks Too Much Is Meant To Slip Up (2/2)

“This helmet is at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five, it’s quite good. As for this armor, it’s a Fine Grade Rank Four…” Ou Yangming stated after he acted pretentiously for 15 minutes. He continued to disclose the properties of the other pieces of equipment until he reached the longbow, where he spoke in confusion, “This weapon is probably the equipment set’s essence, am I right? But it seems like it’s only in Fine Grade Rank Three…”

Before Ou Yangming came, he had actually roughly found out about the trip’s purpose.

An archer’s equipment set!

This was the reason the Fang family had looked for him.

In spite of that, since the task involved an archer’s equipment set, its core is naturally the longbow.

Contrary to what Ou Yangming had expected, while the other pieces of equipment had achieved Fine Grade Rank Five if not Fine Grade Rank Four, the core was only a Fine Grade Rank Three.

No matter how he looked at it, it was not quite reasonable.

“Ah…” Fang Xuande sighed. Since he was the best in smithing art in the clan, it only made sense that he explained the matter.

“Master Lil’ Ou, honestly, the longbow that we need must contain a certain element. We’ve been providing the element for decades and invited countless smithing masters to smith it, but Rank Three is the best we can get…” He sounded very helpless.

Ou Yangming was moved, and he instantly a.s.sociated the matter with the Fang family’s unique skill — tool-chiseling or boring.

Clearly, the longbow was not as simple as it seemed.

“If we found you earlier, we would’ve asked you to smith one,” Fang Xuande shook his head and uttered.

“Do you not have the materials for this longbow anymore?” Ou Yangming asked as a thought crossed his mind.

Fang Xuande smiled bitterly. “It’s incredibly difficult to gather that material, and we’ll only be able to gather it at least at the end of next year, but…”

“Cough…” Fang Zhengde suddenly coughed and cut him off. “Master Ou, can you see if you’re able to improve its rank?”

He was obviously asking a question to fill in the conversation because he wanted to stop Fang Xuande from continuing.

Fang Xuande was dumbfounded, but he realized that he had slipped up, hence he quickly shut his mouth.

Ou Yangming answered after some thought, “I can try. I might be able to do it.”

“What?”

A few of them uttered at the same time. Even Fang Zhaoyang, the Fang family’s Supreme Great Ancestor, looked at him in high spirits.

“I said, I might be able to do it.” Ou Yangming was taken aback.

Xiaoxiao Sheng quickly questioned, “Master Lil’ Ou, if you attempt it, will you damage the longbow?” Ou Yangming glared at him and responded, “Senior, are you underestimating me?”

“How certain are you about succeeding?” Xiaoxiao Sheng smiled embarra.s.sedly.

Ou Yangming pondered. He wanted to say that he was roughly 75% sure that he could do it, but he decided to say, “Around 50%…”

The other people exchanged glances as they thought a 50% success rate was worth a try.

“Okay, Master Ou, please attempt to improve its rank as much as you can,” Xiaoxiao Sheng said, then added after a pause, ‘The Fang family promises that as long as you do your best, you’ll be our most honorable guest, and we’ll protect you in the future no matter what happens.”

Ou Yangming was shocked. It would seem more appropriate if Fang Zhaoyang or Fang Zhengde had given the promise instead.

That being said, after looking at the other people from the Fang family, he understood that the promise represented the Fang family’s promise.

Ou Yangming nodded. He took the longbow and turned it around to study it for some time.

Regardless of the situation, he could not let anyone see the Military Fire’s secret, so he racked his brain to come up with a reason. “This longbow is smithed pretty well, but its fine structure is a little flawed, which is why it’s only in Fine Grade Rank Three.”

“Its fine structure is flawed?” Fang Xuande immediately had a strange look on his face, and hesitated for a moment before he revealed, “Master Lil’ Ou, this longbow was personally smithed by Master Wu Hongxi!”

Ou Yangming was stupefied. “Master Wu Hongxi, the Fine Grade King?” “That’s right.”

‘Oh no…’ Ou Yangming said to himself.

Master Wu Hongxi was a truly renowned peerless figure. He had smithed uncountable pieces of equipment throughout his life, and he was particularly honored for smithing pieces of Fine Grade equipment.

It was said that 70% of the pieces of Fine Grade equipment smithed by him were at the peak of Rank Five, and he gained the respectable t.i.tle of Fine Grade King due to this glorious achievement.

‘How can I talk nonsense like that? The fine structure is flawed? If he hears this, I’ll…’Ou Yangming dared not think further.

However, as the people from the Fang family gave him questioning looks, he had to bite the bullet and complete his lie.

Ou Yangming glanced at Fang Xuande before he asked, “Senior Fang, what was my success rate of smithing pieces of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five yesterday?”

Fang Xuande was startled. There was a drastic change to the look on his face, and he was soon lost for words.

In addition, the other people stopped casting doubtful looks at him too.

The peak of Rank Five. Every piece of equipment that was smithed by Ou Yangming yesterday was at the peak of Rank Five despite their different grades.

As such, Fang Xuande shut his mouth, but he was secretly feeling more bewildered.

‘Could the famous Master Wu Hongxi’s level of attainment in fine structure be inferior to this young fella’s?’

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