Chapter 41

Putting his desire to train in martial arts aside, Wang Sizhen confidently tapped on his chest. “You’ve come to the right person, Jiang He. We are professionals when it comes to building stuff. You want speed and quality? You could try a mild-steel mansion.”

“Mild-steel mansion?” asked Jiang He, shaking his head to indicate that he hadn’t heard about it.

Wang Sizhen smiled. “The usage of mild-steel as structural steel is a recent innovation in the country. Compared to traditional mansions, mild-steel mansions are low cost and more quickly completed. But the key is that their performance doesn’t lose out their traditional counterparts. In fact, they are better than concrete mansions when it comes to heating, as well as prevention against fire, flood, and earthquakes. Not to mention, they last a long time too.”

“Alright, let’s go with your idea.”

“Ah, yes. I have some design drafts for the mansion as well. Everything depends entirely on your style preference. There’s minimalistic, Northern European, or antique-style…”

Wang Sizhen was clearly prepared. He had brought along a tablet PC which had much data on construction plans, since he made a living off that line of work.

Jiang He picked an antiquated, small two-floor mansion. “Let’s go with this one. Big Onion Bro, do some calculations to check the cost and how long it’ll take. I’m also counting on you for the interior design after the house is built, so you can just name me a price.”

Wang Sizhen then asked Jiang He about some details, such as the mansion’s dimensions. Taking out a pen and paper, he sketched away for thirty minutes before saying, “Like I said, mild-steel mansions are low cost, and will only need around three hundred thousand bucks to build. Furnishing will depend on the materials you want, but there’s no rush for that since we can wait until the mansion is completed.”

“Alright,” said Jiang He. “I’ll transfer the money to you soon. Call up your crew to start work as early as possible since I might be busy soon. I’ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things, Big Onion Bro.”

Wang Sizhen laughed out loud. “We are family, Jiang He—there’s no need to be so polite. I’ll call up the laborers and prepare the materials then.”

“What do you mean you’re family?” asked Wang Siyu.

She walked up to them, looking at her brother as she used her mind-reading ability on him. Hearing his thoughts, she immediately gritted her teeth. “Are you supposed to be my brother? You’re actually trading me for a cultivation method!” she yelled.

Wang Sizhen promptly turned and ran away.

Once he was outside the gates and saw that Wang Siyu wasn’t giving chase, he stood by the wall, poking his head over it and calling out to Jiang He, “Tidy up the stuff in your house, Jiang He. I’ll arrange for some men to come by in the afternoon to tear down the collapsed houses.”

As a matter of fact, Jiang He had no precious belongings in those collapsed buildings, although it would be a waste to just throw everything such as the kitchen utensils away…

Wang Siyu was rolling up her sleeves and ready to help, but Jiang He merely sat down to bask in the sun. “You don’t have to do anything. Come sit over here, I something to ask you. Just leave the menial work to Dumbo and Trumbo,” he said lazily.

At the same time, both the cat and dog stood up on their rear paws like humans, and started moving some bowls, plates, and chopsticks out of the house.

Wang Siyu was left stunned and muttered, “I really envy you beast-tamers.”

“Haha,” Jiang He chuckled but said nothing.

Beast tamer? Who, me? Even now, I still don’t know how to tame a beast.

Nonetheless, Jiang He pointed at the metal tree with a silver flower and asked, “Wang Siyu, do you know what type of tree that is?”

“Tree? What tree?” Wang Siyu looked taken aback, finding nothing where Jiang he was pointing. “Did you plant a tree?”

“Nope. Just kidding,” replied Jiang He, although he was secretly very satisfied.

His hunch was right—no one else could see the special ‘crops’ in his farm… And he had almost forgotten to harvest today’s money. That said, the hundred-dollar bills dangling on the money-growing tree was quite a pleasant sight as they swayed in the wind.

After chatting for a while, Wang Siyu recevied a call and left in a hurry. Jiang He remained outside, enjoying the sun and downing qi pellets while instructing Dumbo and Trumbo at their labor.

It was only later in the afternoon that the cleaver he planted bore fruit. The silver flower had withered, and was replaced by a cleaver dangling on the tip of a branch, gleaming in golden luster.

Jiang He took it by the hilt and plucked it when…

[Ding!]

[+500 Farm Points]

“Hmmm?” Jing He couldn’t help shifting his eyes as the System notification jingled in his head. “The Blind Princess’ Eight Practices earned me five hundred points too. Doesn’t that mean this golden cleaver is equal in value to that cultivation manual?” he muttered.

As he stared at the cleaver in his hand, lines of data popped up before his eyes.

[Golden Blade]

[A gold-color cleaver forged from a meteorite.]

[Attribute: Sharp, has certain chance of guard-break in physical attacks.]

Sharp? Ignores defense?

Golden sparks danced as Jiang He ran his finger over the cleaver. Rolling up his sleeves, he lightly slid the edge of the cleaver on his arm.

Screech!

Despite the piercing sound of a knife cutting into steel, only a red mark appeared over his arm.

“Not bad. This blade is at least sharper than the D-class alloy weapon the Martial Arts Department could offer. Still, what does it mean by ‘certain chance of guard-break’? Does it ignore a person’s defense like in video games?”

Jiang He slid the cleaver over his arm again, but he was still fine. He slid it a third time.

Snikt!

What the hell!

Jiang He quickly flung the cleaver away and clutched his arm, but blood was still flowing freely through his fingers. Gritting his teeth as his lips contorted, he inhaled in pain and cursed, “This is ridiculous! I am protected by Indestructible Diamond, and yet the knife cuts through it like it was nothing, piercing my cultivation and even hurting my arm?”

So, this was guard-break? It really does ignore defense!

Washing his wound with some water, Jiang He was about to get Dumbo to buy him some plasters when he noticed that the wound was beginning to heal.

In the first place, the True Qi of Nine Yang was divine healing. The effect was even better since Jiang He had cultivated a strengthened version of Nine Yang. Combined with the heightened regeneration of Indestructible Diamond, the gash healed in just a dozen minutes.

After over half an hour, there were no signs of him ever getting hurt. Jiang He beamed as he put the Golden Blade away.

“Not bad, not bad. This thing will be devastating if used well… When I get my hands on enough Feral materials, I’ll plant a swordplay manual and it’ll be perfect.”

“Hmmm… but which manual? The Three Edges of Avici? The Crimson Sword? Or perhaps that demon sword that can cut through air over forty meters? I remember the Ninefold Thunderblade mentioned in that novel I read was pretty amazing too.”

***

Meanwhile, at the Martial Arts Department at Linzhou City.

In the vast conference room, Duan Tianhe, Cheng Dongfeng, and a crowd of department workers were all present, including Wang Siyu who had just arrived on the scene. A stack of photocopied documents was distrubited to each of them.

Holding nothing back, Duan Tianhe announced, “Perhaps everyone knows the reason you were all called here today. Our nation has been laying the groundwork since the Revival of Qi ten years ago, including setting up thirty-six martial arts academies across the country…”

“Now, our nation is prepared to start these academies, recruiting learners and instructors from across the country to firmly develop martial artists. We will use this opportunity to move things along in tandem so that we can make the Revival of Qi public knowledge.”

“In other words, our own martial arts academy here in Linzhou is making its debut as well. Bai Feifei, contact the journalists and the media—we will announce this to the public at noon tomorrow!”

For some reason, Duan Tianhe suddenly felt relieved.

He obviously knew that the entire nation would be shocked once things were out in the open… but the citizens were not foolish, and would have an inkling of certain matters already.

There was just no hiding from them.