Free Web NovelChapter 117: Chapter 114: Xiong Tianfang
Looking at the two dark, dense pieces of Su Wood in his hands, Feng Hao couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Materials that amplified Shadowforce were rare in the Mage World, and Su Wood was one of the rarest among them. Being a type of wood, its greatest advantage was its light weight, making it a perfect fit for Feng Hao.
He subconsciously checked them with his game-like panel, and the stats for the two pieces of Su Wood leaped into view:
[Level 4 Su Wood]
Quality: 130
Shadowforce Amplification: 45
Weight: 39
’They’re the same quality. They must have come from the same tree.’ Feng Hao nodded, very pleased.
Although Level 4 Su Wood could only be used to forge Tier-4 weapons, that wasn’t an issue given his current attack speed. Furthermore, Su Wood was a lightweight material, much lighter than metal of the same tier, making it perfectly suitable as his main weapon going forward.
Before that, however, he needed to find an Artifact Refiner skilled enough to maximize the potential of the two pieces of Su Wood.
At this thought, Feng Hao recalled his fellow upperclassman from the Artifact Refining Department, Xiong Tianfang. ’Looks like I’ll have to take a trip to the Five Provinces Academy’s Artifact Refining Department tomorrow.’
"Heh, Five Provinces Academy."
Feng Hao gritted his teeth and sneered. Outside of the Apothecary Department, he had absolutely no goodwill for the Five Provinces Academy, especially not for its bullshit rules and its headmaster, Xuchang. ’One day, I’ll make them feel an Assassin’s wrath.’
Feeling hungry, Feng Hao put the matter aside. After eating his fill at a small diner on the next street, he returned to his room above the pharmacy and began to cultivate.
「Early the next morning」
Feng Hao eagerly headed to the Artifact Refining Department to find Xiong Tianfang for some Artifact Refining.
Meanwhile, there was still no sound from the sallow-faced woman’s room. If Feng Hao hadn’t been completely confident in his antidote, he would have thought she’d died in there.
He closed the shop door, hung up the small wooden "Closed" sign, and contentedly headed toward the Artifact Refining Department.
As he passed the Apothecary Department, Feng Hao felt a pang of sadness. He shook his head with a bitter sigh and continued toward the Artifact Refining Department.
As the second-largest department in the East City District campus, the Artifact Refining Department was clearly much livelier than the Apothecary Department. Students from every department came and went, searching for a suitable Artifact Refiner for their equipment. While it wasn’t as overwhelmingly crowded as the Arts Department, it saw much more traffic than the other departments focused on secondary professions.
Due to the recent incident, Feng Hao had become a famous figure at the Five Provinces Academy—or rather, an infamous one.
Sure enough, he hadn’t been in the Artifact Refining Department for long before students started pointing and whispering as they recognized him.
"Quick, look! Isn’t that the madman from the Apothecary Department, Feng Hao?"
"Didn’t he get expelled? What’s he doing in our Artifact Refining Department? He’s not here to start another fight, is he?"
"Look at you wimps. He’s just some level-twenty-eight punk."
"You don’t understand, senior. He may only be level twenty-eight, but he’s terrifyingly strong. He even killed Cao Heng!"
"You actually believe a baseless rumor like that? Cao Heng was a Crystal Stele elite, for crying out loud. How could this guy possibly kill him?"
"No, no, no! I was in the first group to get to the scene. There’s no mistake."
"Ridiculous. Freshmen will be freshmen. So naive."
...
Feng Hao ignored the gossip and headed straight for the Artifact Refining Department’s dormitories. As he passed the Crystal Stele, however, he couldn’t help but stop.
There, in the second-place position, was a line of large text: [Xiong Tianfang] Third-Year, Artifact Refining Department.
’I can’t believe Brother Xiong is the second-ranked Artifact Refiner on the Crystal Stele. Looks like I came to the right person after all.’ Feng Hao chuckled in surprise and quickened his pace toward the dorms.
Following the fluctuations of his Thief’s Mark, he quickly pinpointed the location of Xiong Tianfang’s dorm.
When he reached the door, just as he was about to knock, a large hand shot out from a crack in the doorframe and yanked him inside. Xiong Tianfang was as gruff and slovenly as ever. He stared at Feng Hao with a grim expression. "Little thief, you’ve got a lot of nerve coming back to the academy. You have a death wish?"
"I was just expelled. Doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to visit a friend, does it?" Feng Hao said nonchalantly.
Xiong Tianfang retorted, exasperated, "Do you have any idea how many people are looking to cause you trouble? A lot of the top fighters from the Strength Department’s Crystal Stele rankings are after you. You might have been strong enough to kill Cao Heng, but the top fifty on the Crystal Stele are not people you can afford to mess with."
Feng Hao frowned at his words. ’He’s right. With my current strength, I can’t take on anyone in the top fifty. But as long as I don’t run into one of those top-ten, fifth-year geniuses, getting away shouldn’t be a problem.’
"That shut you up, didn’t it? I’ll drive you back later so you don’t get caught by those lunatics from the Strength Department," Xiong Tianfang grumbled, then changed the subject. "Anyway, what did you need from me?"
Feng Hao smiled mysteriously and produced the two pieces of Su Wood. "I need my brother’s help crafting a weapon."
"Holy crap, is that Su Wood?!" Xiong Tianfang’s eyes went wide as saucers. Combined with his bird’s-nest hair, the expression was utterly comical.
"That’s right. So, can you handle it, Brother Xiong?" Feng Hao asked earnestly.
"Haha! Don’t you worry, little thief. In the entire Artifact Refining Department, I’m the only student who can work with Su Wood," Xiong Tianfang declared, laughing with confidence. He cradled the wood, examining it from every angle, more excited than if he’d just seen a beautiful woman.
Feng Hao paused, then couldn’t resist teasing, "Not even the guy ranked number one on the Crystal Stele?"
"Bullshit! If I had official student registration, there’s no way a hack like him would be sitting in the number one spot," Xiong Tianfang sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
"Huh? It’s that corrupt?" Feng Hao asked, dumbfounded.
Xiong Tianfang waved a dismissive hand. "That’s the Student Union for you. All shiny on the outside, but rotten to the core. We have much more freedom in the Thief God Hall."
"Sounds like leaving the academy was the right choice after all." Feng Hao gave a wry laugh, his loathing for the Five Provinces Academy growing even stronger.
"Leaving was definitely a good thing," Xiong Tianfang agreed with a nod. He hefted the Su Wood in his hand and looked up. "So, what kind of weapon do you want?"
"A pair of daggers, just slightly on the longer side," Feng Hao said.
"Piece of cake." Xiong Tianfang grinned and immediately began preparing to work.
Feng Hao quickly added, "Oh, right! Can you make them resonate with a Demon Pattern?"
"Don’t worry. Since it’s a pair, I’ll definitely make them resonate. As for what kind of effect that resonance will produce, well, that’s not up to me," Xiong Tianfang said with a wide grin.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Just then, a knock sounded from outside the door. The two men exchanged a look, their expressions turning grim.
Xiong Tianfang instinctively took out his student card to check. He let out a sigh of relief. "It’s fine. Not those lunatics from the Strength Department."
With that, Xiong Tianfang strode over and opened the door. To Feng Hao’s surprise, a stunningly seductive figure walked in—it was none other than Yao Ying, reputed to be the top seductress of the Five States.
"Can’t you ever clean this place up? Honestly," Yao Ying said, delicately covering her nose and mouth. Her eyes were filled with a seductive charm; despite the look of disgust on her face, it was impossible to feel any dislike for her.
After she spoke, Yao Ying quickly noticed Feng Hao. Her delicate eyebrows knitted together slightly. "Oh? You have company?"
"Cut the crap. Where are the design schematics I asked for?" Xiong Tianfang said, his face a mask of annoyance.
"Such a clueless brute." Yao Ying gave Xiong Tianfang a flirtatious eye-roll and gracefully produced several sheets of paper. "Here you go. The usual terms apply."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now if there’s nothing else, get out. Don’t bother me while I’m working," Xiong Tianfang said, snatching the papers and impatiently waving her away.
Yao Ying let out a delicate huff and walked out with a pout on her face.
