Chapter 72 Great Master

Chapter 72 Great Master

Huang Lin walked ahead, telling Fang Xingjian, “Seems like the Association holds you in very high regard. The great master they’ve sent this time is Griffin, one of the great masters ranked amongst the first ten in the Royal Weaponry.

“When you speak to him later, you must be more polite. Although these great masters are not strong, their workmanship in forging weapons and equipments has reached great heights. If you want him to put in more effort into forging your weapon, you must be really polite.

“That’s right.” Having said this, he passed a silk pouch of money to Fang Xingjian. “You don’t have much savings yet. Present this to Griffin as a gift.”

Fang Xingjian weighed the money pouch in his hands, estimating that there were about two hundred gold coins inside.

Two hundred gold. Based on his current Knight allowance, he would only be able to save this much money after not eating or drinking for twenty months. It was obvious that this sum of money was not insignificant to Huang Lin either, but it seemed like the other party was really treating Fang Xingjian as his own direct disciple.

However, looking at the coin pouch in his hands, he could not help but feel interested. The bribery methods in this world were really simple and crude, but this was the way Fang Xingjian liked it.

In the next second, he muttered to himself, trying to think of what any ordinary person would say when they were feeling touched, but Huang Lin waved his hand and said, “Don’t say anything. You just need to spend your life working hard, become a Divine level expert and let me, Huang Lin, have a Divine level disciple. This would be the best way you could ever pay me back.”

“I will work hard, Master.”

Fang Xingjian followed Huang Lin to the study, and once they were there the latter waved his hand and said, “Go on. I don’t wish to see anyone from the Imperial Capital. I’ll be waiting for you in the training grounds. You’re done with soaking in the medicinal liquid. From today onwards, you’ll spar with me. The Regional Selection is different from the Prefectural Selection. And after learning the Killing technique, battle experience is an extremely important factor.” Having said his piece, Huang Lin took his leave and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Fang Xingjian nodded as he headed towards the study. A white-haired elderly man had long been waiting there, sitting on a chair and sipping tea.

Seeing Fang Xingjian’s entrance, he twitched his brows and scrutinized Fang Xingjian all over as he said, “Your disposition is calm, your steps are strong, your arms are long and slender, your eyes are sharp as swords. You’re really a good swordsman.”

He then waved towards Fang Xingjian and said, “Come over here, I’ll take your measurements.”

Fang Xingjian walked up, handing over the money pouch to the white-haired elderly man personally.

The man seemed to have long reached an understanding with him, not saying a word as he received the money pouch, and pocketing it as if nothing had happened.

However, after briefly weighing the pouch, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

“I’ll take your measurements first. You can tell me what kind of weapon you want while I’m at it.” The white-haired elderly man smiled and said, “Oh right, my name is Griffin.”

The elderly took out a measuring tape and measured Fang Xingjian’s fingers, arms, and even took various measurements including his chest and waist measurements, as well as his height, all the while listening to Fang Xingjian’s descriptions.

Fang Xingjian had long ago talked with Huang Lin about what sort of Empire’s Divine Weapon he would like, and had also heard the Headmaster’s description of the Empire’s Divine Weapons.

Fang Xingjian said, “I want a longsword. Firstly, it must be sturdy. Secondly, it must have the effect of a soft sword and be able to freely change its shape or even extend its length. It must also be very sharp.

“What I’m training is the Supreme Mistwind Sword, so I hope that there’ll be wind imprints and vent holes through its blade, such that when the sword slashes air currents, it’ll create special sword Qi.”

As Fang Xingjian raised a pile of requests, the white-haired elderly man nodded as he gauged Fang Xingjian’s physical attributes. He then heard Fang Xingjian saying, “One more thing. I hope that it can be made with the bone remains of a Knight who has at least gone through the first transition as the main ingredient. It would be best if the person also had a job which controls the atmosphere.”

Griffin sized up Fang Xingjian and said, “You know your stuff well.

“An expert who was a Knight and completed at least the first transition would tend to have great achievements in the cultivation of his Waves and communication with ether particles. Under the enhancement of the Waves, their bones would tend to be even sturdier than steel reinforcement bars. And especially since they receive the continuous enhancement of ether particles, they would tend to have some special powers even after the person dies.

As long as the Waves were a good match, weapons made from such remains would tend to be able to increase the individual’s damaging powers.

However, naturally, there were not many experts willing to donate their remains to the Empire to be used for weapons forging. Most of the Empire’s remains of experts tended to come from external battles, and each weapon forged from the remains was said to extremely valuable.

Equipments forged with valuable ingredients and having various special abilities were known as the Empire’s Divine Weapons.

And those which had Knight’s remains added to them were separately known as Remains Divine Weapons. The ones made from a first transitioned Knight’s remains were known as Inferior Remains Divine Weapons, while the ones made from the remains of a Conferred Knight who had gone through the second transition were known as Superior Remains Divine Weapons.

There was even equipment made from a Divine level expert’s remains, which was known as Divine Remains Equipment. It had unbelievably strong powers, and it was part of the great world treasure often known as Divine Equipment.

Seeing Fang Xingjian’s gaze, Griffin smiled and said, “It’s basically impossible for normal Knights to wish to get a Remains Divine Weapon. However…”

Suddenly, his tone changed and said, “Fang Xingjian, you’re really lucky. You’re extremely talented and you’ve attracted a certain big shot’s attention and you’re highly regarded. He told me to take good care of you, and bestowed upon you the backbone of a Conferred Knight who completed the second transition. I’ll use this backbone to forge a longsword for you. It’ll be a Superior Divine Weapon.”

Griffin patted Fang Xingjian on the shoulders as he said with a tinge of envy, “With the care of this big shot, your future will definitely be smooth-sailing. With that person’s support, it may not be impossible for you to become a Divine level expert.

“I’ll need you to take care of me in the future too.”

Fang Xingjian’s eyes gleamed, many emotions fluctuating in his heart. He understood clearly that the time had finally come.

During this time, putting aside Kirst’s aristocrats, many other clans had attempted to toss out the olive branch to Fang Xingjian, but they had all been fended off by Huang Lin and the Headmaster.

However, this time, it was an olive branch from the Imperial Capital, and it was offered by one of the top ten great masters from the Royal Weaponry. It was obviously difficult to reject this one.

However, Fang Xingjian did not plan to reject it. In fact, it was just as he had told Kyle - it was impossible for one to be completely free in this world. Even with his talent, before he became invincible he would need to find himself a strong backing.

As the saying went, no matter if one picked up literary arts or martial arts, the end goal would be to offer one’s service to the king and the royalty. He did not mind selling off his abilities and future, but it definitely had to be for a good price.

Therefore, he asked, “I wonder which Lord from the Imperial Capital is so generous.”

Griffin replied, “See for yourself.” Saying that, he took out a piece of yellowed paper with irregular empty spots on its edges. It had a unique smell similar to sulphur, and it was hard to tell how many years it had gone through.

What really caught one’s eye was, as Fang Xingjian could himself could tell, that the piece of paper was filled with a sense of evil.

Griffin tossed out the paper, and it floated in the air. He kneeled down, saying respectfully, “We welcome Your Highness’s arrival”.

Before his words ended, the piece of paper burst into flames by itself in the air, but it did not turn into ashes. On the contrary, bundles of flames rose from the paper, dancing about in the air, forming the picture of a man’s head.