Chapter 174 - 171 Oh Yo! (Third Update)
A man and a cat gazed in awe at the Great master, their eyes growing larger and larger, filled with disbelief.
The Great master’s hunched body gradually straightened. His wrinkled face was beaming with vitality, especially his eyes which sparkled with radiance, making him look like a vibrant young man.
The green glow around him continued, and the transformation of the Great master didn’t cease until a deep sound came from his throat. The glow dissipated, and the Great master looked at his hands in disbelief.
“This… this…”
The Great master trembled, his eyes glistening with incredulity. Tears welled up as he looked up at Yang Zhen, about to kneel before him.
Yang Zhen was startled and quickly helped the Great master up, saying, “Great master, what are you doing!”
“I felt it, I felt it…” The Great master was emotional and stammered to Yang Zhen, “How did you do this?”
Even Elder Gu couldn’t reinvigorate a person like this. Feeling the surging power and energy inside him, how could the Great master not be astonished? To him, Yang Zhen’s methods were godlike.
Even gods hadn’t heard of getting more than a decade younger by just grabbing and pulling on someone’s hand.
Yang Zhen was delighted. Turns out doing good deeds could bring such overwhelming joy, and during the whole process, he’d gained much more than the Great master—much, much more.
An enlightenment struck him due to the feeling of the fading life force; the small tree sprout in his brain stirred to life and erupted with astonishing vitality.
The biggest beneficiary amongst all was not the Great master, but Yang Zhen and the idiotic cat.
Although the benefits Yang Zhen received were significant, he couldn’t even describe how potent his vitality became, let alone the small sprout in his spiritual space, which was constantly transmitting vitality to his body.
Even though the process was slow, Yang Zhen was only a few years old. With years and years to go, he felt invincible!
The shameless cat shamelessly joined in. Now it was healthy and full of vitality; its shiny coat glistening, eyes casting doubtful glances at Yang Zhen, seemingly pondering.
Yang Zhen often felt that the cat knew something but would play dumb at critical times, as if disclosing any info meant instant damnation.
Upon seeing the excited Great master, Yang Zhen took a deep breath and spoke with an air of mystery, “Great master, there’s no need to thank me. This is the cycle of karma, retribution always comes. I sensed that your life has been honest and dedicated; this good fortune in your old age is your destiny!” The Great master was dumbfounded and laughed wryly, “Your methods are divine. Your thoughts and realizations are likely mountains higher than mine. I have nothing to return your favor. How about this, 1 teach you all I’ve learned in my life, is that ok?”
Yang Zhen, intrigued, said, “Sure!”
Their meeting was a matter of fate. Since coming to Wanhua Island, everyone was expecting Yang Zhen to stir up chaos.
Damn it, Yang Zhen wanted to keep a low profile for once and be a quiet, handsome man.
So, for the first few days, Yang Zhen rarely left the cat’s side, hoping to make it behave for a while. At the very least, he wanted to slap those who were gloating at his impending chaos.
Everyone’s waiting to watch the bustle, right? Sao Saint wouldn’t play that game. He’d sightsee and keep a low profile for a while.
Take that, you idiots! Especially that dimwit Lu Baichi who was probably rubbing his hands together waiting for Yang Zhen to show up. It just happened that he didn’t go, preferring to roam around aimlessly and eventually ended up outside the Great master’s shop.
At first, Yang Zhen didn’t notice. He was just drawn to the pleasant atmosphere of the shop. There was a small plant growing above the shop door, which, according to the Heavenly Book, constituted a Giant Axe Life Changing Array— a sign of great fortune.
Yang Zhen and the deceitful cat hung out there for a while, drawn in by the hammering sounds from inside. Before they knew it, they found themselves inside the shop.
Great Master was becoming weak as he swung his hammer; nevertheless, the rhythm, which subtly corresponded with profound principles, still appealed to Yang Zhen. However, every time when it was a crucial moment, the rhythm would be disrupted, which made Yang Zhen regretful.
After all, the man was old!
Great Master, who was now on his last legs, could be said to have one foot in the grave. Blacksmithing had become a huge burden for him.
So it was that Yang Zhen spent several days at the blacksmith shop until he had gained some insight into life, activated the little tree in his mind, and also offered the Great Master a touch of vitality, which gave him several more decades of life and vitality.
A blessing may turn out to be a curse and vice versa.
The boundary between fortunes and misfortunes was always so delicate that it surprised people. Yang Zhen’s interest in blacksmithing came from the rhythm and momentum shown by the Great Master when he was working, which intoxicated Yang Zhen.
This feeling was peculiar; it was as if Yang Zhen was grasping the Heavenly Tathagata Cloud-Dispersing Palm among the vast white clouds, giving him a frustrating sensation that inspiration was at his fingertips, but he could never seize it.
With the Great Master hefting his hammer and pounding on the star iron in a rhythm that chimed, Yang Zhen gradually became engrossed.
It was this feeling that held Yang Zhen’s breath unbeknownst to him.
The ungrateful cat curled its lip, looked at Yang Zhen as if he was an idiot, and went back to sleep on the ground. Soon, it snored, harmonizing with the sound of the Great Master’s hammering.
Clink, clink!
The sound pervaded the entire street as if it were a perfect symphony.
Yang Zhen’s thoughts seemed to have drifted somewhere.
After a long time, Yang Zhen’s eyes flashed with excitement and he said to Great Master, “Great Master, can I give it a try?”
At Wanhua Tower, a cold-faced young man sneered at his friends and asked with a frown, “How’s it going? Has Yang Zhen been found yet?”
His friend shook his head and laughed, “Maybe he’s gone into hiding. After all, the elites are now gathering on Wanhua Island. There’s no place for a clown like him. Senior Brother Lu, my opinion is, you need not concern yourself with Yang Zhen this much, lest you ruin your own reputation!”
Lu Baichi laughed and said, “It’s not that I have to go against him. But you know, that Water Moon Spirit Lady is so arrogant, saying that I, Lu, am not even comparable to a country bumpkin. How could I just let it go?”
As he said that, Lu Baichi broke into laughter, stood up, and exuded a horrifying aura. With each word emphasized and pronounced distinctly, he said, “I will tread upon Yang Zhen, letting that woman know that he, Yang Zhen, is but an insignificant ant. It’s just a pity that Yang Zhen is currently nowhere to be found, which really disappoints me.”
Boom!
In mid-air, a loud thunder was heard unexpectedly, swiftly engulfing the whole sky and reverberating throughout the street.
At that moment, a great number of people on Wanhua Island were startled.
Both Lu Baichi and the Practitioner were startled and looked out of the window with a shocked expression, exclaiming, “What’s happening? Such a terrifying change in the weather. Could it be that someone had an epiphany?”
Inside the blacksmith’s shop, the disreputable cat darted onto the beam with a whine, looking around blearily in puzzlement, “Damn it, what just happened?” Yang Zhen uttered an exclamation and the hammer in his hand heavily fell upon the star iron as he murmured, “Wow, that’s quite a commotion!” The Great Master, who was standing beside him, was dumbfounded. Right then, the hammer, which had accompanied him his whole life, seemed to have come alive in Yang Zhen’s hands..