Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Sir… Zhang Yinfan,” Ou Yangming mumbled and frowned.
He probably would not be too concerned if someone else had given the order, but since it was Zhang Yinfan, he could not help but link this issue to something else.
“Yes.” Xiong Gaoan was helpless. “Although the Armament Camp and the Provision Camp are both under the Supply Division, you should know that everything involves money, and they can stop us anytime they want… Even if Old Craftsman comes personally, I dare not open the depot for him.”
Ou Yangming curled his lip and thought to himself, ‘If you don’t open the depot when the old man comes personally, I’ll change my surname to yours.’
Nevertheless, he dared not say it as he would be smacking the supervisor in his face.
Feeling helpless, Ou Yangming could only leave disappointedly.
A brief moment after he left, a stout man arrived.
Xiong Gaoan quickly stood up to greet the person affectionately. “Sir Kang, why are you here?”
“I just had my meal, so I’m here to check the depot’s inventory.” The person was Kang Weibo, the Armament Camp’s supervisor. He smiled when he spoke, but sighed after that. “The Armament Camp isn’t very peaceful lately.”
“Yes, Sir Zhang just ordered us to control the cost strictly, and he asked that we don’t waste too much stock, but Old Craftsman’s spending increased recently…” Xiong Gaoan gestured to Kang Weibo to sit, then asked him softly, “Sir, how about you talk to Old Craftsman about this?”
“Hmph!” Kang Weibo glared at him. “Old Craftsman’s the only presentable person in the Armament Camp. If I go talk to him about it, am I not bringing bad luck upon myself?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Xiong Gaoan’s face turned bitter. “Sir, Ou Yangming, Old Craftsman’s helper, was here just now to withdraw some featured iron ingot. I didn’t open the depot, look…”
Kang Weibo was stunned. “Ou Yangming was here?”
“Yes.”
Kang Weibo furrowed his eyebrows a little and began pondering.
Xiong Gaoan was rather surprised as he did not know why Kang Weibo looked so prudent. He knew that Ou Yangming was only Old Craftsman’s helper and did not think that it was a big deal when he rejected Ou Yangming earlier as Old Craftsman could simply make a visit himself. As long as the old man made a fuss about it, he would open the depot for him.
Being a powerless person, Xiong Gaoan could not go against a prestigious person like Old Craftsman, but he also did not want to be blamed for a breach of responsibility.
Since Kang Weibo has been the Armament Camp’s supervisor for many years, he figured that he understood the situation very well and saw through the little trick.
After all, the way of being an official was to look after oneself first. Opening the depot for Ou Yangming and for Old Craftsman were two different matters.
However, Xiong Gaoan felt that it was not as simple as he thought when he noticed Kang Weibo’s facial expression. Feeling quite anxious, he asked carefully, “Sir, did I do something inappropriate?”
It was clear that he was Kang Weibo’s confidant since he managed the accounts in the Armament Camp, or he would not have been so straightforward with his question.
“I heard a rumor a few days ago.” Kang Weibo sighed, then lowered his voice. “Old Craftsman exchanged his meritorious deeds over the years for a Military Fire Badge as he wanted Ou Yangming to be successful, and Ou Yangming acquired the Military Fire Seed.”
Xiong Gaoan was stunned. He commented enviously, “That fella’s quite lucky.”
Ou Yangming was not related to Old Craftsman at all, but they coincidentally clicked with each other and were closer than a grandfather and a grandson who were blood-related.
This was also why Xiong Gaoan spoke to Ou Yangming nicely. If another helper were to act so rashly, he would have sent him to be caned.
“Hehe, it’s not necessarily good luck!” Kang Weibo sneered. “Sir Zhang found out about it, and he put an obstacle in the way as he wanted someone else to take the place instead. Ou Yangming agreed at first, but he broke his promise when it was time for him to decide, and he accepted the Military Fire Badge’s legacy.”
“Ah.” Xiong Gaoan was dumbfounded. “That, that… Sir Zhang?”
Kang Weibo responded, “Which Sir Zhang can it be if it’s not that one?”
Xiong Gaoan felt uneasy. “Sir, if that’s the case, the order from the Provision Camp is probably not as simple as it seems. What should we do?”
Kang Weibo sighed. “The Provision Camp is our superior, but Old Craftsman isn’t one to be messed with. Moreover, he has been getting a lot of attention because General Chen recently asked him to smith a weapon. If we make things difficult for him, General Chen will definitely chop our heads off to warn the others.”
Xiong Gaoan shrunk his neck as a chill went down, which gave him goosebumps.
“Forget it, guard the depot strictly, and don’t open it unless it’s really necessary. I’ll go visit Old Craftsman to check out the situation,” Kang Weibo said as he stood up as he said.
Xiong Gaoan sighed after Kang Weibo left. In a fight between celestial beings, things were especially difficult for little devils like them who were stuck in the middle.
Kang Weibo arrived at Old Craftsman’s smithing workshop with a smile on his face and noticed that the old man was making gestures at a staff. He hesitated for a while before knocking on the door.
When Old Craftsman opened the door and saw him, he smiled. “Sir Kang, why are you here?”
Since Kang Weibo was the Armament Camp’s supervisor, Old Craftsman was under him in terms of their rank, so he greeted him politely. Nonetheless, the politeness was only on the surface because Old Craftsman did not intend to invite him inside.
Kang Weibo smiled bitterly as he asked, “Old Craftsman, are you lacking materials lately?”
“What?” Old Craftsman was stunned.
“Ou Yangming went to the depot earlier to ask for some featured iron ingots,” Kang Weibo explained quickly, then sighed. “It would’ve been a small matter half a month ago, but Sir Zhang from the Provision Camp has just ordered the Armament Camp to reduce our expenses…”
“Oh, was it Zhang Yinfan who gave the order?” Old Craftsman asked calmly.
“Yes, it was Sir Zhang, but don’t worry.” Kang Weibo nodded right away, then stuck his chest out like he was ready to go through thick and thin with the old man. “Your expenses won’t be reduced at all, and I’ll prepare everything for you no matter how hard it is, even if I’ll have to give up my post as an official in the Armament Camp.”
Old Craftsman could not help but laugh. He was not a 3-year-old child, so he obviously did not believe the nonsense.
Due to his many experiences in life, he instantly understood Kang Weibo’s purpose of visiting.
He chuckled. “Sir Kang, I understand. Mm, if that young fella asks to withdraw materials from the depot in the future, you don’t have to charge it to my account.”
Kang Weibo was startled. “Oh, Old Craftsman, please don’t misunderstand, I’m not asking you not to withdraw materials anymore. Alright, alright, I’ll let my men open the depot for Ou Yangming if he goes there again, is that okay?”
He thought that Old Craftsman was being sarcastic. Normally, although he could not do anything against the unruly old man, he did not fear him.
However, Old Craftsman was close to General Chen Yifan and had the responsibility of smithing a weapon for the general, so Kang Weibo dared not offend him during this crucial time.
If Old Craftsman were to complain about him to General Chen, he would be in serious trouble.
After all, General Chen Yifan was more powerful than Zhang Yinfan.
Old Craftsman laughed out loud. “Sir Kang, you really misunderstood me, I meant what I said. If the young fella really goes to the depot to withdraw materials in the future, it has nothing to do with me.”
Kang Weibo was stunned. When he noticed that Old Craftsman was neither faking it nor showing signs of anger, he wondered why.
“Old Craftsman, I don’t understand what you mean…” He asked carefully, “Are you asking us to reject him when he asks to retrieve materials for you?”
“Take a guess?” Old Craftsman winked mysteriously.
Kang Weibo’s face darkened a little. ‘Take a guess? Take a guess my *ss! How can you wink when you’re already so old? Why aren’t you blind!’
Needless to say, he did not have the courage to voice it out, so he smiled bitterly instead. “Old Craftsman, I’ve been providing you with everything you need all these years, and I’m sure that my hard work should be recognized even if they’re not commendable. Tell me the truth, what do you really mean?”
Old Craftsman cleared his throat. Since his nominal senior officer had put it that way, he could not hide things from him anymore.
“Sir Kang, perhaps you already know that I exchanged my meritorious deeds for Ou Yangming to obtain a Military Fire Seed.”
Kang Weibo’s face changed a little as he was shocked. “Old Craftsman, are you saying that Little Brother… Ouyang stimulated the Military Fire successfully?”
Upon realizing that, he began to feel uneasy, and even changed the way he addressed Ou Yangming.
Old Craftsman shook his head. “You’re wrong.”
Kang Weibo almost choked on his own breath. He inhaled deeply before he responded, “Okay, I understand. I’ll order my men to not bother him if he asks to retrieve materials again.”
He addressed Ou Yangming by his name again as soon as he knew that the young fellow had not activated the Military Fire.
Old Craftsman still had a smile on his face. He then took a military saber from the smithing workshop to show it to Kang Weibo. “Oh, Sir Kang, let me show you something.”
Kang Weibo studied the saber for a while by using a bit of his essential Qi. His face glowed. “An Attribute Military Saber.”
“Yes, this is an Attribute Military Saber at the peak of Good Grade.”
“Old Craftsman, congratulations, it’ll be recorded on the Merits Record. Ah, can this saber be stored in the depot?”
“Sadly, I didn’t smith the saber, so I don’t have the right to decide,” Old Craftsman replied when he saw the eager look on Kang Weibo’s face.
“It wasn’t you?” Kang Weibo was surprised. “Who did it then?”
Old Craftsman winked mysteriously again, and responded casually, “Take a guess…”
