Chapter 140 The Young Eagle Leaves Its Nest
Ou Yangming furrowed his eyebrows a little and looked rather troubled. “General, I’m sure you know that even though the old man seems okay now, he was ill for a long time so it’ll take a certain amount of time for him to fully recover. I’m too worried to leave at a time like this…”
Fang Yihai laughed out loud. Being one of the people involved, he naturally knew that Ou Yangming had not said it to decline his request. The relationship that Ou Yangming and Old Craftsman shared was definitely much closer than one that was shared between a father and a son who were blood-related.
Nevertheless, the general had come prepared this time, and he would never do anything that he was not confident about. “Master Ou, this is the military camp, after all, so it’s not the perfect place for an old man to recuperate. If Old Craftsman goes to the prefecture too, he’ll be provided with better medical conditions.”
Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up as he was obviously moved by the idea. Feeling delighted, Fang Yihai quickly seized the opportunity and said, “Brother Ou, the Fang family has hired several reputable doctors at the prefecture to wait for Old Craftsman’s great arrival.”
Ou Yangming asked after a moment of hesitation, “General, how is their medical skill as compared to Ni Xuehai’s?”
Fang Yihai’s smile instantly froze, and he replied to him with a bitter smile, “Ni Xuehai is the number one famous doctor from the Ni family, and he has profound knowledge in medicine. Not only is he the best in the prefecture, but he’s also one of the few best ones in the entire capital.”
He secretly wondered, ‘I honestly don’t know how much of a lucky b*stard you are. You weren’t suppressed by the Ni family after defeating their young master in a smithing challenge, and even became friends with Ni Yunhong. On top of that, you managed to invite the Ni family’s best to the military camp.’ With that, even if the other people had plans for Ou Yangming, they would be too afraid to reach out to him. If that was not the case, based on Ou Yangming’s formidable smithing ability, his residence would have been filled with all sorts of guests long ago.
“General, I’m incredibly grateful for your kindness,” Ou Yangming responded after some thought, and continued after a short pause, “I’ll inform the old man right away, he’ll probably agree.”
In actual fact, Ou Yangming wanted to head to the prefecture long ago. Nonetheless, he did not pay importance to the doctors invited by Fang Yihai because it was Ni Xuehai and the peculiar stones in the Chaos Cave that he was really after.
Needless to say, it was easy to get Ni Xuehai’s help, but difficult for Ou Yangming to enter the Chaos Cave once more. That said, since his days in the military camp were dull, leaving was just a matter of time.
After promising Fang Yihai, Ou Yangming immediately asked Old Craftsman.
However, Ou Yangming felt like a bucket of cold water was splashed in his face when the old man responded.
“Why should I go to the prefecture? I’m not going, I’m not going! My life here is great, and I didn’t lose an arm or break my leg, so I can still smith a few pieces of equipment to survive. I’m not going!” Old Craftsman rejected without any hesitation.
He was unwilling to leave the military camp because it was his home, and he rather died at home than anywhere else.
Ou Yangming twisted his face in agony for a moment and expressed, “Old man, if you’re not going, I’m not going either!”
“You? Why are you going to the prefecture? Didn’t you just come back from there?” Old Craftsman asked curiously. He cared for Ou Yangming more than he did himself. “Old Man, I’m sure you remember General Fang Yihai? I promised to attach Unique Attributes to some pieces of equipment from his clan. The pieces of equipment and the ores are at the Fang Residence in the prefecture, and it’s impossible for them to send them here,” Ou Yangming explained, then shrugged, “I don’t usually break promises, but since you insist on not going, what else can I say? In any case, I won’t go if you don’t go.” “Nonsense! Since General Fang has invited you, why are you rejecting him? You must go no matter what! I’m telling you, you must do your best for General Fang, it’ll be highly beneficial for your future!” Old Craftsman glared at Ou Yangming and bore the same aura that he had when he lectured the young fellow in the past. When the old man was extremely agitated, he could not help but pace back and forth. “It’s a rare opportunity, a rare opportunity…” Old Craftsman knew very well how difficult it was for someone to be recognized by a general, who was even willing to train that person. He would not be bothered, but Ou Yangming needed the opportunity. Despite that, Ou Yangming shook his head and insisted. “Old man, I told you, I’ll definitely not go if you don’t go!”
“B*stard, are you trying to drive me mad? How dare you not go when it’s such a great opportunity?” Old Craftsman glared at him in anger, then turned to walk toward his bed. Ou Yangming was stunned and puzzled as he thought, ‘What’s the old man doing? He’s not taking things too hard, is… F*ck, oh my god!’
His eyes widened right away because he saw the old man pulling out a big rod from the foot of his bed.
He was afraid of the big rod.
This was because the item left a deep and unerasable mark in his memory. “Old man, where did you find it?”
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“Hmph, b*stard, did you think that I couldn’t find it if you hid it in the smithing workshop? Heh, spare the rod, spoil the child. I see that your body has been itching since I haven’t been teaching you a lesson for a long time?”
The old man wielded the rod and asked madly, “I’m asking you again, are you going or not?” Ou Yangming hesitated for a while before he answered firmly, “Old man, I don’t want to leave you.” “You…” Old Craftsman swung the rod but hit Ou Yangming’s butt because there was more flesh there. “Are you going or not?”
Ou Yangming shrieked and jumped while holding his butt, but he stuck to the same answer. “If you don’t go, I won’t go, and I won’t go even if you beat me to death!”
Old Craftsman was struck dumb, and he could not hit the young fellow anymore.
He sighed and uttered, “The prefecture actually has a great view, and I’ve been wanting to go take a look. Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Ou Yangming was holding his butt and was ready to be hit the second time, thus he did not expect the old man to change his mind.
He blinked suspiciously. “Old man, you’re not lying to me, are you?”
Old Craftsman rebuked, “When have I ever lied to you?!”
In actuality, many parents in the world were unconcerned about how they lived, but they would spare no effort in doing anything that would benefit their child. It neither mattered how much effort they had to put it nor was it important if the matter was to their liking.
A child was everything to parents.
Ou Yangming naturally sensed the change in Old Craftsman’s mind, and he felt rather guilty. Nonetheless, as told by Fang Yihai, the prefecture’s medical conditions were far from what the military camp could compare. Moreover, in order to let the old man enjoy the rest of his life, Ou Yangming was already willing to offend the Ni family’s three Supreme Great Ancestors, let alone swindling the old man himself.
When Ou Yangming informed Commanding General Deng Zhicai from the Middle Camp that he and Old Craftsman would soon leave the military camp, the general sighed. “I knew that the Immense Forest Military Camp can’t make you-a legendary dragon-stay, but I didn’t expect you to grow so quickly too. Ah, I have such a narrow vision.”
“General, I’m only leaving to smith some pieces of equipment for General Fang. Besides, it’s best to nurse the old man back to health in the prefecture.” Ou Yangming smiled apologetically. “Tell me the truth then, are you coming back?” Deng Zhicai laughed and asked.
Ou Yangming was taken aback. He was going to say that he would definitely return, but he could not let a word out when he suddenly recalled the negative feelings he had from smithing in the camp during the past few days. After experiencing the steep and majestic mountain, would he still be willing to view in peace the scenery behind the small hill?
“Forget it, I give you my permission.” Deng Zhicai shook his head a little, then added after a pause, “General Chen from the West Camp has been taking good care of you, so you should thank him before you leave.”
Ou Yangming showed him an embarrassed smile and he bid his farewell.
Nevertheless, once he arrived at the West Camp, Chen Yifan waved his hand before he could even speak. “Go, go, go, you can leave if you want to, but when are you going to smith my weapon for me?”
Ou Yangming’s slight reluctance to part disappeared because of Chen Yifan. He stuck out his chest and assured, “General, don’t worry, I’ll definitely smith a weapon that’ll suit you best.”
“Come with me.” Chen Yifan scoffed and brought Ou Yangming to an empty ground, then retrieved a spear from the weapons rack. “Young fella, watch me closely, this is the weapon that I like the most.” Following that, he shook his wrist and wielded the spear. The spear appeared to be a living dragon in his hands, and his body twisted in a wonderful way with it. In addition, Chen Yifan kept reciting a chant when he manipulated the spear, causing Ou Yangming to be in high spirits. Chen Yifan stopped and asked with a deep voice after performing once, “Did you understand what you watched?”
Ou Yangming gathered his thought for a while where the purple light flashed in his mind. He kept replaying everything that happened earlier, and his eyes eventually lit up. “Thank you, general, I understood it.” Chen Yifan instantly froze. He had planned to perform again but did not have an excuse for that.
He glanced dubiously at Ou Yangming and questioned, “Did you really understand it?”
“Yes, I really understood it.”
Chen Yifan’s mouth twitched. “Okay, remember to smith the weapon for me. Now, you may leave.”
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Once Ou Yangming went far away, he groaned and mumbled, “The young fella has even learned my finest spear technique, so I’m finally considered his master now, right? Heh… But did he actually learn it?”
Even Chen Yifan was uncertain at that moment.
After Ou Yangming left the military camp with Old Craftsman the next day, Kang Weibo made a sorrowful trip to Ou Yangming’s smithing workshop.
He did not have high hopes that Ou Yangming would return again after he left.
Kang Weibo had thought that he could at least live a few good years if he relied on Ou Yangming, the newly risen Military Fire Blacksmith, hence he did not expect his blissful days to fly away so quickly.
That said, his body froze the instant he entered Ou Yangming’s smithing workshop, and he could not move an inch.
Kang Weibo’s lips trembled when he saw the room that was full of pieces of equipment, and his face glowed. He repeated the same words over and over again, “I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich…”