Chapter 9

Chen Yifan didn’t stay in the room for long. He just briefly asked Old Master about the items he needed and then hurriedly left.

Old Master’s expression wasn’t good. He snorted and said, "Hmph, that miserly manager actually couldn’t hold his temper and came over himself." Shaking his head, he muttered, "Strange, this doesn’t seem like his character at all..."

Ouyang Ming knew the reason in his heart and had already guessed Zhang Yinfan’s intentions, but he couldn’t reveal them no matter what.

His eyes darted around, and he immediately said, "Old Master, why don’t you let General Chen know that I have already activated the military fire?"

Old Master’s thoughts were indeed diverted by him. He glared at him with a bad temper and sighed, "You little brat, don’t you know the principle that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind? Hmph, I’ve already spread the word that you have the aura of military fire seeds. In a few more days, we can announce it."

Ouyang Ming nodded, seemingly understanding. Although he felt a bit regretful in his heart, he understood even more that Old Master would never harm him.

"Brat, from tomorrow on, you will report to the Western Camp," Old Master said after a moment of contemplation.

"What?" Ouyang Ming looked up in surprise, "Old Master, you really want me to go?"

Old Master nodded slowly, "If Zhang Yinfan hadn’t come, it wouldn’t matter much whether you went or not. After all, once you become a formal military fire forger, he won’t be able to touch you easily. However, since he came so quickly, it seems he is quite resentful of you." Sighing, Old Master continued, "I can’t control that miser, but if you go to General Chen’s camp for training, Zhang Yinfan won’t dare to touch you easily."

Ouyang Ming blinked his bright eyes, "Old Master, what’s the background of General Chen? Why is Zhang Yinfan so afraid of him?"

Just now, the two had a face-to-face conversation, and anyone who wasn’t an idiot could see that they were not on the same level.

Old Master smiled bitterly, "General Chen arrived three months ago. I don’t know his background, but we share some views on forging, so we get along well. However, for Zhang Yinfan to be so wary of him, his background must be significant."

Ouyang Ming nodded slowly, "I understand. As long as General Chen is around, Zhang Yinfan won’t dare to do anything to me."

Old Master laughed helplessly, "You little rascal, you are indeed a bit smarter." He thought for a moment and added, "General Chen is right. To improve your strength and physique, just forging here won’t do. You have already activated the military fire, and you need a stronger physique to fully unleash its power. So, following General Chen can also be considered a form of training."

Ouyang Ming nodded repeatedly. Old Master had indeed gone to great lengths and put a lot of effort into his affairs.

Old Master’s tone suddenly turned stern, "In the next few days, you must work hard. Hmph, go to the Western Camp for training during the day, and come here in the evening. I will start teaching you the true forging techniques."

Ouyang Ming’s eyes lit up, "Old Master, you are willing to teach me?"

Old Master glared at him disdainfully, "Your basic skills are still far from adequate, but I need to forge weapons for General Chen, and I can’t delay any longer. However, you must remember, even if you learn the forging techniques, you cannot be arrogant. You must strive for perfection to make progress."

Ouyang Ming nodded repeatedly, swearing to the heavens that he would not辜负Old Master’s expectations.

However, Old Master shook his head helplessly on the surface, but he was deeply moved in his heart.

Though he spoke harshly, in just three short days, Ouyang Ming’s control over military fire had already reached the minimum requirement for forging armor and weapons.

In the past, it took Old Master three whole months to barely achieve this. But this kid did it in just three days.

Although Old Master had long known that military fire controllers with mental strength were far more powerful than those who relied solely on physical strength, Ouyang Ming’s performance was still enough to shock him.

The main reason he didn’t want others to know that Ouyang Ming had already activated the military fire was this.

At this moment, seeing Ouyang Ming’s overjoyed expression, Old Master’s heart was filled with mixed feelings.

What path will this kid take in the future?

※※※※

The next morning, Ouyang Ming got up early. Unlike the previous few days, he didn’t enter Old Master’s forging room but went directly to the Western Camp.

The military camp had strict rules. However, when Ouyang Ming reported the name of the Western Camp’s general, Chen Yifan, he was allowed to pass without any further questioning. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Ouyang Ming had been in the military camp for two years. If he were a true stranger, it would be impossible to move around the camp so freely.

When Ouyang Ming finally met Chen Yifan, the fierce general looked at him with a curious gaze, his eyes somewhat peculiar.

Ouyang Ming’s scalp tingled slightly. For some reason, under this gaze, he felt as if he had nowhere to hide.

Chen Yifan came to Ouyang Ming’s side, extended his large hand, and patted and kneaded him for a while, saying, "Good, indeed a martial seed with abundant qi and blood. Little guy, since you’re here, you must work hard. If you can’t complete the tasks I assign, I won’t let you off easily, understand?"

Ouyang Ming nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

This young man had always envied the soldiers training on the parade ground and wished to join them. Now that he had this opportunity, he naturally wouldn’t let it slip away.

Moreover, after Zhang Hanru’s sneak attack the previous day, he was very clear about his current dangerous situation.

Martial cultivation was now a matter of life and death for him.

Chen Yifan led Ouyang Ming to a tent and said, "Kid, to practice martial arts, you must first stand firm. Watch carefully." He lowered his waist and sat in a horse stance, saying, "Do the same."

Ouyang Ming glanced at him, not daring to be careless, and imitated the stance.

Actually, he had seen this horse stance many times in the military camp. Many soldiers would perform similar movements during their free time. However, Chen Yifan’s horse stance seemed slightly different.

Chen Yifan’s brows furrowed, and he scolded, "Hmph, you little brat, pay attention. Did I tell you to sit?"

Ouyang Ming was speechless, but as he looked at Chen Yifan, he felt quite awkward.

Because when Chen Yifan took the horse stance, although he remained completely still, Ouyang Ming somehow felt as if he were seeing a galloping horse. If he stared for a long time, he could even feel an overwhelming aura that seemed to crush him.

When he looked at himself, Ouyang Ming couldn’t help but blush. Although his stance looked the same as Chen Yifan’s, it felt loose and as if it would fall apart at any moment.

Of course, without the stark contrast between the two, Ouyang Ming would find it hard to notice this significant difference.

Chen Yifan’s figure flickered, and he was already in front of Ouyang Ming like a ghost.

Ouyang Ming was startled, fell on his butt, and screamed.

Chen Yifan’s expression remained unchanged, and he said coldly, "Get up!"

Ouyang Ming immediately got up, looking somewhat dejected, not knowing how to explain.

Chen Yifan said slowly, "Kid, to achieve success in martial arts, you must endure hardship. Now, take the horse stance."

Ouyang Ming responded and squatted down in the same position as before.

Chen Yifan’s gaze shifted, and he tapped Ouyang Ming a few times, saying, "Lift your hands, bend your knees, straighten your back, and don’t let your eyes wander."

Ouyang Ming followed each instruction and maintained the position without relaxing. Strangely, after Chen Yifan corrected his stance, he suddenly found his body feeling much more relaxed, no longer as tense as before.

Chen Yifan said loudly, "To maintain the horse stance is not an easy task. Hmph, I will teach you a set of mantras. Listen carefully. How much you can understand depends on you."

As he spoke, he used his fingers to tap Ouyang Ming’s body.

Each time his finger touched, Ouyang Ming could clearly feel a warm current moving inside his body, making him feel very comfortable.

At this point, he realized that squatting in a horse stance had many nuances, not just the surface posture. It involved breathing and mental visualization, with many underlying principles.

He slowly closed his eyes and, following Chen Yifan’s instructions, imagined the flow of qi in his body. Gradually, the qi grew stronger and more stable.

In front of Ouyang Ming, Chen Yifan’s eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.

His gaze was fixed on Ouyang Ming, complex and as if he were seeing him for the first time. After a long time, Chen Yifan exhaled deeply and muttered with a bitter smile, "To find a martial genius in such a small place, hey, what luck..."

He agreed to teach Ouyang Ming martial arts not only because of his talent but mainly out of respect for Old Master.

After all, the weapons he needed to forge could only be done by Old Master here.

However, Ouyang Ming’s performance far exceeded his expectations. He could sense the qi during his first horse stance. Looking at the slight qi fluctuations around Ouyang Ming, it seemed to be more than just sensing the qi.

This kid might really bring him a big surprise.

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