Chapter Ten: The Super Weapon Overlord

“Do you want to forge all eighteen weapons?” Zhuge Yixiu asked as he walked with steady steps.

“Mm, to be precise, just one weapon,” Xiao Yan nodded and continued.

“Oh…” Zhuge Yixiu thought for a moment, uncertain whether he understood, but he nodded as well.

Soon, the two of them arrived before an old monk.

“Master! Xiao Yan is here to have a weapon forged…” Zhuge Yixiu announced.

“Mm? Xiao Yan?” The old monk felt the name sounded familiar, though he was so absorbed in smithing that he paid little heed to worldly affairs.

This old monk was known as Master Huiji, the monastery’s smithing expert. After training in martial arts, every monk would come to him to request a suitable weapon.

“Yes,” Xiao Yan replied.

“What kind of weapon do you want? Weapons have their own spirit, and I do not permit those of ill intent to sully them,” Master Huiji said gravely.

Xiao Yan frowned and muttered inwardly: Old man, you really know how to put on an act…

“Hmm? Are you cursing me?” Suddenly, Master Huiji fixed Xiao Yan with a sharp gaze.

“…No,” Xiao Yan replied, utterly bewildered.

“Enough. Circulate your energy and let me see your inner strength,” Master Huiji waved his hand, signaling Xiao Yan.

…

Xiao Yan strained with all his might and managed to muster three layers of inner strength.

“Heh…” Master Huiji sneered and shook his head, “Are the new disciples all this weak? Go back and come to me when your inner strength reaches five layers. Otherwise, giving you a weapon would be sending you to your death—do you understand?”

…

The group of monks who had gathered to watch began to murmur among themselves.

“Exactly. With only three layers of inner strength, he wants to wield a weapon? He might not even be able to hold it steady.”

“Right, and he still dreams of challenging the Eighteen Arhats. Ha! I’d rather watch Senior Brother Yuantong try the trials. Farewell.”

…

Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed. He turned his head and signaled to Zhuge Yixiu as if asking something.

Zhuge Yixiu was startled, then a sly grin spread across his face and he nodded.

Heh, he got it instantly.

Xiao Yan relaxed and slowly stepped forward.

“What are you doing, still standing there? Leave at once,” Master Huiji said sternly.

Xiao Yan did not stop. He walked up to Master Huiji and whispered, “Do you remember what Zhuge Yixiu gave you to eat before? I have some more here…”

“What?” Master Huiji was taken aback, then his eyes grew wide and he began to drool.

“Ahem… Well, come inside with me, quickly,” Master Huiji coughed, wiped his mouth, and spoke in a hurry.

Under the confused gazes of the onlookers, Master Huiji pulled Xiao Yan inside the meditation chamber.

“Hurry and take it out, let me see…” Master Huiji was practically salivating with anticipation.

Hmph, you pretentious old man…

Xiao Yan thought to himself, but he still took out a packet of pork powder from his robe and slipped it secretly into Master Huiji’s hand.

Master Huiji took it suspiciously, licked a tiny bit, and instantly a radiant grin blossomed on his face.

“Heh heh, whatever weapon you want, I have it all here. Take your pick—don’t be polite…” Master Huiji dragged Xiao Yan out of the meditation chamber, laughing and pointing to the weapons around.

The monks who had come to watch were utterly baffled. Since when had Master Huiji become so agreeable?

What trick did Xiao Yan use? Everyone knew Master Huiji was upright—others had tried bribing him with silver before and only got beaten and thrown out for their trouble.

It made no sense, but try as they might, they couldn’t figure it out.

Xiao Yan looked around, then walked over to a meteor hammer, bent down, gripped the handle…and after straining for quite a while, still couldn’t lift the weapon.

Hmm… a bit awkward.

Laughter rang out from within the weapon hall.

Xiao Yan moved on to a sword, but shook his head as well… after a full circuit…

He returned to his starting point.

“What’s wrong? Is there no weapon here that catches your eye?” Master Huiji clutched the pork powder to his chest, afraid Xiao Yan might take it back.

“No,” Xiao Yan replied.

“Ha! Young man, you must be joking. My collection is the most complete. So, what kind of weapon do you want?”

“I want a spear—or rather… a spear, a saber, a sword, a meteor hammer… I want them all…” Xiao Yan rattled off all eighteen types of weapon.

“Don’t I have all those here?” Master Huiji asked, puzzled.

“No, actually, I want just one weapon…”

???

For a moment, Master Huiji didn’t understand. After a long pause, a bit hesitantly, he asked, “You mean, you want a single weapon that can serve as all eighteen?”

Xiao Yan nodded.

“How could there be such a weapon?” Master Huiji shook his head. “Even if you were to take back what you just gave me, I couldn’t possibly produce such a thing. That’s pure fantasy…”

As he spoke, a memory surfaced and he hesitated, “Even when Master Fahai was in his prime, he couldn’t do it…”

…

“Fahai?” Xiao Yan asked, confused.

What did Fahai have to do with any of this?

???

The other monks, however, erupted in surprise. “Fahai? You mean the one who forged the legendary weapon Overlord—the master known as the ‘Gan Jiang and Mo Ye of Golden Mountain Monastery’?”

“I’ve heard that legend too…”

Xiao Yan was completely at a loss, but then a voice echoed from within him: Nonsense! There’s nothing I can’t forge. That fool Huiji is just spouting rubbish.

Xiao Yan: “…”

“Let’s go, there’s nothing I can do,” Master Huiji said in disappointment.

“Can you really make it?” Xiao Yan asked.

“I’m powerless…” Master Huiji thought Xiao Yan hadn’t heard and repeated himself.

Inside, the voice sounded a bit unsure: Ahem… It might be worth a try… but you’ll need a helper…

“Bluffing!” Xiao Yan said.

Master Huiji’s face darkened with anger—no one had ever dared speak to him that way before.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you,” Xiao Yan quickly explained. Then he turned to Zhuge Yixiu and said, “Come, help me. I know how to forge it.”

…

Master Huiji was stunned for a long while. Seeing Xiao Yan walk out of the weapon hall, he called after him, “Wait—”

He wanted to remind Xiao Yan that Zhuge Yixiu was just an apprentice, who couldn’t even make a decent farm tool.

But Xiao Yan’s figure had already disappeared.

Master Huiji recovered, frowned, and sneered, “Ha! He knows how to forge? Youngsters these days truly don’t know their limits!”

With that, he sighed, shook his head, and returned to his chamber to enjoy his delicacy.