“Hehe, Lil’ Friend, you’re kidding me.” Jin Shengjie curbed his thoughts and quickly flashed a bright smile. “Your suggestion earlier was very right. Please forgive us for not looking into the matter.” “Lil’-Lil’ Friend?”
“I didn’t hear him wrong, did I…”
Almost everyone in the square was in a daze at that instant. Although they had a hunch after they saw Jin Shengjie and the two other masters’ reactions just now, they felt like they had just seen a ghost when they heard the words “Lil’ Friend”. ‘Lil’ Friend?’
‘Based on Jin Shengjie’s status as a Superior Blacksmith, he shouldn’t humble himself no matter how absurd the case is, should he?’
In the capital, there were very few blacksmiths whom Jin Shengjie considered as friends. Now, he actually gave such deferential treatment to an unknown young fellow, so what would it make the other people?
Nonetheless, the crowd was surprised that Yi Yucheng and Feng Guangyuan did not seem to disapprove of the blacksmith master’s action. In fact, they were initially standing tall but had bent their bodies a little.
It was not an obvious move, but it was clear to those who had decent vision.
Therefore, after feeling extremely shocked for a while, everyone else focused on Ou Yangming again.
The young fellow smiled plainly and asked, “Are you saying that I passed?”
Jin Shengjie answered without any hesitation, “Of course.”
Ou Yangming smiled cheerfully and questioned, “But can I continue to join the assessment if I’d like to?”
“If you’re planning to take the Rudimentary Assessment and the Intermediate Assessment, you don’t need to,” Jin Shengjie responded after some thought.
“Why?” Ou Yangming asked with a smile as he looked up at Yan Yuanhua.
On the high platform, Yan Yuanhua’s eyelids twitched. He was having an incredibly complicated emotion because at this point even a fool knew Ou Yangming was not an ordinary blacksmith. When Yan Yuanhua recalled the words he said to the young fellow that day, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride.
Yuan Lexin asked in a deep voice, “Junior Brother Yan, that fella has looked at you a few times. Do you know each other?”
Yan Yuanhua’s face reddened, and he could not let a word out.
On the other hand, Jin Shengjie laughed out loud on the stage. “Lil’ Friend, you’ve smithed a piece of High Grade equipment, so there’s naturally no need for you to join the Intermediate Assessment.”
‘A piece of High Grade equipment?’
The ordinary people were surprised when they heard what he said, and they lamented.
‘He’s here to take the Official Blacksmith Assessment, yet he smithed a piece of High Grade equipment. Doesn’t that mean that he passed the Intermediate Blacksmith Assessment too? No wonder Master Jin treated him so politely! It turns out that he’s a promoted talent.’
However, the people on the high platform reacted differently.
Apart from Jin Shengjie and the two other examiners, the other people who could be seated at the high platform were great blacksmiths. They represented their respective sects to witness the assessment, the most inferior among them was an Intermediate Blacksmith, and there was no lack of Advanced Blacksmiths like Yuan Lexin.
Hence, they knew better than anyone else what it meant to smith a piece of High Grade equipment using ordinary iron ingot.
Suddenly, while everyone on the square discussed the matter with one another, it was dead silent on the high platform as everyone stared at the military saber.
‘High Grade equipment—is that military saber really a piece of High Grade equipment?’
Yuan Lexin instantly turned to look at Yan Yuanhua when he heard Jin Shengjie’s statement. He asked word by word, “Junior Brother Yan, how exactly did you become acquainted with him? Tell me honestly and don’t leave out anything!” Yan Yuanhua’s heart sank, and he replied to his senior brother with a bitter face, “Senior Brother, it-it’s a complete misunderstanding…”
****
Ou Yangming grinned on the stage. “Master Jin, will you make an exception if I’d like to take the Advanced Assessment and the Superior Assessment then?”
Jin Shengjie looked deeply at him before he answered, “I’ll never agree with the request if someone else made it, but if it’s you, Lil’ Friend… Hehe, okay, you may join those two assessments later. I look forward to your surprises.”
“Thank you, Master Jin.” Ou Yangming did a fist salute. He reached out his hands to pick up the seemingly disordered stones around him, then he casually walked out of the square’s center.
The young fellow was a nobody when he entered earlier, nobody spared a second glance at him, but he became the center of attention after he left.
Wherever he passed, the crowd naturally made way for him, and everyone showed him a flattering smile.
It was worth noting that those who came to spectate were people who were closely related to the blacksmiths, but there were also many people who had a rough understanding of the trade. Thus, they could tell that the teen, who was favored by Master Jin Shengjie, would certainly have a bright future. Even if the spectators could not become friends with Ou Yangming, they could not leave a bad impression.
Ou Yangming naturally went to Hu Yicheng and nodded at him. “Big Brother Hu, you’ll have to wait for a while more because I’ll be taking two more assessments.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s my blessing to be able to keep you company!” Hu Yicheng was already blushing due to the excitement. He later pulled his son to the front and instructed, “Lingfeng, quickly greet your uncle!”
Hu Lingfeng nodded and greeted, “Uncle Ou.”
Ou Yangming felt his teeth ache when he looked at the young man, who seemed to be around his age, in front of him. He felt extremely helpless.
‘I somehow became an uncle again…’
He forced a smile and remarked, “Heh, we’re around the same age…”
“Brother Ou, since we’ve become brothers, Lingfeng must address you as uncle,” Hu Yicheng immediately explained. He then waved his hand and stressed, “Anything else can still be discussed, but not this!”
Ou Yangming shook his head helplessly. The young fellow knew why Hu Yicheng was determined to be connected with him, but he did not want to make a fuss about it when he recalled how he was able to acquire the Military Fire because the inspector upheld his principles in the past. ‘I’ll consider him my friend then. If there’s a chance for me to aid him in the future, it won’t be a big deal anyway.’
Following that, Ou Yangming turned to smile at Du Gaoge. “Shopkeeper Du.”
“Master Ou, you’ve worked hard. Congratulations, congratulations!” Du Gaoge trembled a little before he laughed out loud and congratulated Ou Yangming in an exaggerated tone. He then stepped forward and kowtowed to the young fellow. “I knew you were being modest about your skill, and I’m fortunate to have met you. I admire you, Master Ou, I admire you!”
Hu Lingfeng was dumbfounded when he looked at Du Gaoge. He whispered to his father, “Father, didn’t he just say…”
Du Gaoge was flustered, and he said in a hurry, “I was saying that Master Ou will pass the assessment and shock us all!”
“Shopkeeper Du is right. Young fella, you should watch and learn!” Hu Yicheng could not help but laugh, and he secretly tugged at his son.
Hu Lingfeng nodded, but he was very much puzzled.
Ou Yangming watched everyone’s reaction, but he did not take it to heart. Based on his present ability, why would he care about Du Gaoge’s little opinion?
“Master Ou, the Rudimentary Assessment and the Intermediate Assessment will take place before the Advanced Assessment, so do you need to take a short break?” Du Gaoge stepped forward and asked the young fellow softly. He pointed outside and said, “The Yi Pavilion has a house property here too, and you’ll surely be pleased!”
The shopkeeper would not have made such a suggestion before Ou Yangming’s assessment.
Even though the Yi Pavilion had a house property here, it was not for someone of Ou Yangming’s level. Despite that, Du Gaoge changed his mind at once after Ou Yangming displayed his unbelievable skill in smithing art. This was because the shopkeeper knew he would not be the only one who would serve Ou Yangming from now on.
Even if it was only because of one’s potential, someone who was addressed as a little friend by Master Jin Shengjie would be treated with a higher standard by the Yi Pavilion.
Ou Yangming chuckled. “There’s no need for the trouble; I’d like to watch those assessments too.”
Du Gaoge responded to the young fellow obediently and stood still. That said, he managed to find his footman and ordered him to return to the main branch as fast as possible to report today’s event in detail.
The shopkeeper had a vague feeling that Ou Yangming would create more miracles. Ou Yangming stood by the square as he watched the 30 over teens, who had become official blacksmiths, leave the stage slowly. When they left, they were no longer elated about having passed the assessment successfully. Moreover, the teens even glanced at Ou Yangming when they left as they were curious yet respectful of him.
In particular, the few teens who avoided Ou Yangming on purpose earlier were vexed.
They could not believe that they had offended a blacksmith master just like that, and they hoped Ou Yangming was not a petty person who held grudges. Ou Yangming was suddenly given a lot of space around him. Other than Hu Yicheng, his son, and Du Gaoge, the other people dared not squeeze around him even if they were curious about him.
Just as Ou Yangming thought the Rudimentary Assessment was about to begin, someone appeared next to him.
It was a middle-aged man, who said to him with a smile, “Master Ou, Master Jin invites you to spectate from the platform.
The area below the high platform in the middle of the massive square was enclosed to be the assessment venue, where over 300 casting tables were arranged.
Beneath the high platform was naturally where the ordinary people spectated from, and blacksmiths who had not or had taken the assessment gathered over there too. On the other hand, the people who could watch from the high platform were not ordinary people. A normal Intermediate Blacksmith might not even be qualified to go onto the platform.
The eyes of Hu Yicheng and his son lit up at once; even Du Gaoge looked envious.
Ou Yangming laughed and expressed, “Please thank Master Jin for his kindness, but I have three friends with me…”
The middle-aged man said without any hesitation, “Master Jin said that your friends are invited too.”
