Chapter 44: Chapter 42: Preparing for a Rainy Day! Gold
Silk Ring Armor!_l
Translator: 549690339
Su Changkong speculated about the identity of the man in green, wondering why he needed so many crossbows. However, since the man was willing to buy in large quantities and offered a price beyond Su Changkong’s expectations, Su Changkong had no reason to refuse; this would also save him much trouble. “But could there be deceit in this?” Su Changkong was cautious, considering the possibility that the man in green just wanted to appease him before suddenly launching a sneak attack!
“Agreed.”
Yet Su Changkong verbally agreed without much hesitation.
Having a steady buyer was a great boon for Su Changkong!
“Here are three hundred taels of silver.”
Seeing Su Changkong agree, the man in green took out a stack of silver notes from his bosom, counted three hundred taels, and handed them over to Su Changkong.
While staying on guard against a sudden attack from the man in green, Su Changkong accepted the silver notes.
But the anticipated conflict did not erupt; Su Changkong successfully received the three hundred taels in silver notes, so he handed over the three crossbows in his basket to the man in green, and the transaction went very smoothly!
“My name is Zhao Qing. How should I address you?
After completing the trade, the man in green introduced himself and inquired
about Su Changkong.
The name given by the man in green was most likely fake!
“You may call me Ghost Face.”
Su Changkong knew this well, so he naturally did not reveal his real name.
Wearing a crimson ghost mask, he casually made up a name.
“We shall meet and trade in the Ghost Market at the opening of every month.”
Zhao Qing, the man in green, nodded, clearly aware that the name Su Changkong used was fake. He then suggested they meet and complete their transactions at the Ghost Market each month.
“Fine,” Su Changkong answered succinctly.
After completing the transaction, Zhao Qing did not linger; he turned and left with the three crossbows, disappearing into the darkness.
“This Ghost Face is quite formidable, at least in the Divine Strength Realm, and his blade technique is even sharper; I might not necessarily win against him… Moreover, he is very vigilant. He seemed relaxed just now, but he was actually on high alert the whole time, a dangerous individual. Thinking it over, it wouldn’t be a bad choice to try to recruit him into our fold! If he does not recognize the opportunity… then my silver won’t be so easily earned!” Zhao Qing walked into the distance, a hint of peculiarity crossing his face beneath the mask.
Zhao Qing had noticed Su Changkong, who was selling crossbows in the Ghost Market, but did not reveal himself to inquire about the price. Instead, he watched secretly, following quietly, his intentions clear as day.
Yet the strength displayed by Su Changkong against the men with bull-face masks was terrifyingly fierce, making Zhao Qing wary enough to change his mind, opting to buy Su Changkong’s crossbows with money and agreeing to a long-term partnership.
After all, if they fought, Zhao Qing felt he could win but would pay a hefty price. Rather than take the risk, he preferred to spend some silver-life was the most important thing!
“This Zhao Qing is a dangerous individual, not as easy-going as he seems on
the surface. I must be more cautious in the future.”
As Zhao Qing left, Su Changkong stood still, his gaze slightly grave, aware that
Zhao Qing was not someone to be taken lightly.
“Additionally, although my offensive capabilities are strong, my defense still falls short. If I face attacks from arrows or hidden weapons and get struck in a vital point, I have just as much risk of life-threatening injury. I must be on my guard!”
Su Changkong thought to himself that although he had reached the Divine Strength Realm, his body was after all flesh and blood, and facing multiple crossbowmen could lead to his demise.
Selling these crossbows to Zhao Qing, if he used them against me, would be quite the irony!
Su Changkong thus wanted some countermeasures.
One was to practice the Horizontal Training Skill, which is similar to skills like Iron Shirt or Golden Bell Cover, considered part of the Horizontal Training Hard Skill. However, mastering such a skill to the extent that one would not fear the blade or sword was extremely difficult and could not be achieved in a day. Moreover, it would deplete one’s life force to a certain extent.
“I’ll craft a set of armor when I get back!”
In the end, Su Changkong thought of relying on external help, such as crafting a suit of armor for protection. It would be time-saving, effortless, and the effects would be immediately visible.
Gathering his thoughts, Su Changkong looked towards the three corpses on the ground. He quickly searched the bodies and found a total of less than a hundred taels in silver notes, which left Su Changkong speechless. Were they so poor they didn’t bother to earn money?
Without staying for long, after doing all this, Su Changkong set off to leave the barren mountains of the Ghost Market.
Su Changkong arrived at Ginseng Town in the wee hours of the morning and made a trip to Ginseng Manor where he purchased enough Vital Qi Spread medicinal herbs to last for two months of cultivation.
After completing all this, Su Changkong returned to Black Iron Manor, coming back fully loaded without alerting anyone.
Back at Black Iron Manor, Su Changkong’s daily routine was as usual-training and forging; he also did not forget to craft his protective armor!
“When I craft armor, I cannot make a metallic armor, which cannot be carried out, so it’s best to go for a lightweight inner armor. I’ll craft a suit of golden silk armor.”
In his room, Su Changkong sketched blueprints, contemplating armor that would suit him.
The best defense naturally came from a full set of iron armor, but iron armor was heavy, too conspicuous, and could not be worn openly without drawing attention.
Therefore, the image of golden silk soft armor surfaced in Su Changkong’s mind.
Golden silk soft armor is essentially a younger version of Chain Armor, crafted from metal wires. Although its defense is far inferior to iron or Chain Armor, its advantage is its lightness, allowing one to wear it beneath their clothes. “Combine golden silk soft armor with Chain Armor, and I’ll craft a suit of golden silk ring armor,” Su Changkong quickly devised a plan.
Chain Armor is made by linking rings of iron together to form the armor. Su Changkong decided to combine the two and craft a suit with better defense than golden silk soft armor and lighter than Chain Armor, able to be worn on oneself.
When Su Changkong set his mind to something, just as he always did, he waited for the other workers to finish their shift in the evening and then worked alone in the forge, crafting parts for crossbows and the golden silk ring armor. Even though this would slow down progress on both projects, Su Changkong had plenty of time and knew to take things slowly.
Refined metal wires, forged by Su Changkong, were knitted like a sweater into armor and then interlaced with small iron rings the size of a fingertip to enhance defense.
The task not only required forging but also handmade craftsmanship, which was undoubtedly time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, Su Changkong had long since cultivated a heart that was neither haughty nor impatient and was very patient and meticulous.
Crafting different instruments and equipment, Su Changkong’s forging skill rapidly advanced. In a mere two to three months, he could reach the pinnacle of the 6th realm in forging!
Su Changkong took time every day to craft the golden silk ring armor. Despite his astonishing efficiency, it still tookhim a full two months to complete a suit. In the room, Su Changkong looked at the dark golden armor before him. The entire set was woven from metal wire and linked with iron rings. Its appearance could not be called beautiful, but it was very practical, especially around the heart area where Su Changkong added extra thickness and more rings.
The lining of the armor was made of leather, which made it more comfortable to wear!
“It weighs a little over twenty pounds,” Su Changkong estimated. The golden silk ring armor was not exactly light due to Su Changkong’s balancing of defense and weight. Weighing just over twenty pounds, it would be somewhat difficult and uncomfortable for an ordinary person to move around in, but for a martial artist with a strong physique like Su Changkong, that weight was negligible.
“Not bad! With this golden silk ring armor, ordinary slashes, stabs, and hidden projectiles will hardly scratch me!
Su Changkong was quite satisfied. The golden silk ring armor, whether it was needed or not, was a lifesaver in critical moments!