Chapter 770: The Malicious Artificer
Chapter 770: The Malicious Artificer
"An evil sword..."
Mo Huaxin's thoughts stirred slightly.
In the sword-forging chamber, two figures stood.
One was Ouyang Mu, shackled and standing before a green-flamed bone furnace and rows of blood-red long swords, his face slightly pale.
The other was an elderly Demon Cultivator.
He wore a gray robe, his back hunched, his nose long, and an aura of maliciousness surrounded him.
This elderly Demon Cultivator was a malicious artificer, an extremely experienced one at that. One could only guess at the number of evil swords he had crafted in his lifetime.
He turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on Ouyang Mu as he rasped, "Today, I will teach you how to forge a sword."
Ouyang Mu was taken aback.
He glanced around at the dense array of white bones, the bloody pools, and the numerous evil artifact embryos, and immediately refused, "I refuse to learn this!"
The malicious artificer gave a gloomy smile.
"You foolish boy, this is your opportunity."
"Others would kill for the chance to learn my skills."
Ouyang Mu pressed his lips together, shaking his head resolutely, "I won't learn it!"
The artificer glanced at him, coldly harrumphing, "If it weren't for orders from above, do you think I'd bother teaching you? Miss this chance, and you may never get another..."
Ouyang Mu remained silent, his expression stubborn as a block of wood.
The artificer circled him, scrutinizing him closely before nodding slightly, "Stubborn, but a good seedling."
He lifted his head slightly, asking, "Are you from the Ouyang family?"
Ouyang Mu kept a straight face, refusing to answer.
The artificer coldly snorted, "No need to answer. That stubbornness and your ordinary appearance are tell-tale signs of the Ouyang family."
"Otherwise, they wouldn't have asked me to teach you."
Ouyang Mu was puzzled, furrowing his brows as he asked, "Who are you? What's your relation to my family?"
Hearing this, the artificer suddenly flew into a rage, his face twisting with anger, "Don't you dare mention the Ouyang family to me again, or I'll rip that tongue out of your mouth!"
Ouyang Mu was startled, thinking to himself: This old Demon Cultivator's moods shift like the wind, and his words are incoherent...
But then again, this was to be expected of a demon.
Moreover, from his appearance, he seemed to have lived a long life in the Myriad Demon Valley, likely having shed any remnants of his humanity.
The artificer's face was filled with malevolence, and his patience had worn thin. He grabbed a piece of white bone and tossed it to Ouyang Mu, "Refine this bone and fuse it with pure iron."
"This is all you need to do today."
"Once you're done, you can leave."
Ouyang Mu subconsciously reached out to catch the bone, but as soon as his palm touched it, he felt the chill of death, causing him to flinch and drop it to the ground.
The artificer smiled sinisterly, "Are you afraid of a dead man's bones? Don't be so squeamish about good and evil, or you'll never become a remarkable swordsmith."
Ouyang Mu replied sternly, "Good is good, and evil is evil. How can one not differentiate?"
The artificer smiled meaningfully, "Can you tell them apart?"
"It's because you harbor evil thoughts that you can't tell the difference. If your heart is pure and free from evil desires, how could you not discern between them?" Ouyang Mu argued.
The artificer coldly scoffed, "You ignorant brat, I'm too lazy to argue with you."
His expression turned icy as he asked again, "Will you refine this bone or not?"
Ouyang Mu gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Good," the artificer nodded, retrieving a bloody wolf-tooth lock from a corner and clamping it onto Ouyang Mu's body.
Ouyang Mu tried to dodge, but the artificer's claw-like hand grabbed his arm, leaving him unable to escape.
In the blink of an eye, the bloodstained wolf-tooth lock was fastened onto him.
The lock came alive, its iron spikes like fangs as it bit deeply into Ouyang Mu's flesh.
Ouyang Mu winced in pain, gritting his teeth and stubbornly enduring it.
The artificer's eyebrows rose slightly, seemingly intrigued by the boy's resilience.
As the wolf-tooth lock tightened, Ouyang Mu's face grew paler.
The artificer continued in a cruel tone, "This wolf-tooth lock is one of my unique creations. Shaped like a wolf's mouth with backward-facing thorns like teeth, once it tastes blood, it's like a hunting wolf that won't let go of its prey."
"Moreover, the tips of the wolf's teeth have grooves that, once embedded in flesh, will suck your blood like a demon beast."
"This is one of my proudest creations," the artificer smiled in satisfaction, his gaze falling on Ouyang Mu as he asked, "How does it feel?"
Ouyang Mu's body turned cold, and he couldn't stop trembling.
The artificer continued, "Listen to my instructions, and refine whatever I tell you to. That way, you won't suffer, and I can report that my task is done."
"After all, you didn't kill these people, and you don't know whose bones these are."
"You're just an artificer; all you need to do is refine materials. Everything else is none of your concern."
"If you agree, I'll remove the wolf-tooth lock." The artificer added.
Ouyang Mu stubbornly gritted his teeth, remaining silent. However, his face had lost its color, and he looked as pale as paper.
It seemed like he was at his limit.
Mo Huaxin's eyes turned cold, and she prepared to intervene, regardless of the consequences, to deal with this malicious artificer.
At that moment, the artificer waved his hand, channeling a surge of evil energy into the wolf-tooth lock.
The lock trembled, and like a chained evil wolf, it reluctantly loosened its vicious grip.
"Stubborn until the end..."
The artificer shook his head.
However, he didn't seem angry. Instead, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he looked increasingly excited.
Those who achieve great things must possess unwavering determination.
Once one reaches a certain height, natural talent becomes less important.
But that unwavering determination is often rarer than innate talent.
Especially in the path of artifact refining and sword forging, one needs superhuman endurance and a strong will.
"You can leave for today."
The artificer said indifferently, "Come back tomorrow, but... don't say I didn't warn you. You might be able to endure a day, but perhaps not three or seven, let alone a month."
"Think carefully about it and consider your options..."
The malicious artificer rambled on.
Ouyang Mu wanted to say something, but due to excessive blood loss, his vision darkened, and he fainted.
The artificer waved his hand, signaling for a Demon Cultivator waiting outside the door. He instructed, "Take him away..."
"Yes," the Demon Cultivator replied, leading Ouyang Mu out.
Soon after, Jin Gui entered the room and inquired, "How did it go?"
The artificer replied, "He's too stubborn. It'll take some time to wear him down."
Jin Gui nodded and added, "He's lost a lot of blood. Take this opportunity to feed him some Blood Pills to replenish his demonic blood and save us further trouble."
The artificer shook his head. "A forced turn will only make the fruit bitter. If you do this, you'll only push him to his death. Unless he surrenders from the heart and takes this step himself, he won't be able to become a true demon."
Jin Gui's face turned gloomy. He understood the old Demon Cultivator's words, but he was still displeased that his orders had been refused, which left him feeling rather annoyed.
"Don't waste too much time. Our young master's patience is limited, and don't hinder his grand plan," Jin Gui said coldly as he glanced at the old Demon Cultivator and turned to leave.
The artificer paid him no heed and instead turned his attention to a white bone, which he began to grind down. In a voice so soft that it was almost inaudible, he said, "Refining artifacts is a complex process. These Demon Cultivators only need to use evil artifacts to kill, but an artificer like me has to consider many other factors..."
"...The harder the material, the more precious it is."
"But even the hardest material, when subjected to relentless pounding and forging, will eventually deform and take the shape I desire, becoming a powerful evil artifact."
"...It will always remain by my side..."
...
Mo Huaxin, who was hiding on the roof, frowned slightly upon hearing these words, then quietly slipped away.
After leaving, Mo Huaxin noted the location of the artificer's chamber and, along the way, located several more spirit pivot formations. She carefully avoided the patrolling Demon Cultivators, secretly repaired the formations, and then covered them with mud and rocks to hide the formation patterns, ensuring they wouldn't be discovered.
Having completed these tasks, Mo Huaxin returned to the prison.
Ouyang Mu had already been brought back.
He lay on the ground, his breath weak and his face as pale as paper, with slight tremors running through his body as he endured excruciating pain.
While the Demon Cultivators wouldn't kill him immediately, if Ouyang Mu didn't comply with their wishes, he would undoubtedly suffer greatly.
And what would happen after that was even more uncertain.
These Demon Cultivators were insane, irritable, and prone to doing all sorts of crazy things.
Mo Huaxin sighed.
The dog-headed Demon Cultivator guarding the prison was nowhere to be seen, so Mo Huaxin revealed herself.
Song Jian was startled by Mo Huaxin's sudden appearance, but Linghu Xiao, who had been worried, lit up with joy.
"The Demon Cultivators gave a pill, but I didn't dare to feed it to Wood Junior Brother..." Linghu Xiao explained.
"Mmhmm," Mo Huaxin nodded.
Although, according to what he had overheard, the pill shouldn't have been tampered with, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
Mo Huaxin took out several Blood Replenishment Pills, a small Revitalizing Elixir, and several other restorative pills to replenish Ouyang Mu's blood and energy, and fed them to him.
Ouyang Mu's complexion improved significantly, and his wounds began to heal.
"Auntie Wan's pills are really amazing..." Mo Huaxin thought to himself.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to afford such precious pills.
After a while, Ouyang Mu's depleted blood and energy had recovered considerably, and he whispered, "Thank you... Brother Mo..."
Mo Huaxin shook his head. "It's nothing."
"It's just..." Mo Huaxin frowned, "You have to go back there tomorrow. What will you do if that malicious artificer forces you to refine evil artifacts again?"
Ouyang Mu was taken aback, realizing that Mo Huaxin had witnessed everything that had happened in the artificer's chamber.
The Demon Cultivators had taken him to a remote artificer's chamber on a whim and had kept the door tightly closed, indicating that they were taking strict precautions.
Yet, Brother Mo had still managed to sneak in...
"Brother Mo truly is full of tricks..." Ouyang Mu thought to himself.
As for refining evil artifacts, Ouyang Mu said resolutely, "I am a disciple of the Taihe Sect's Ouyang family. I will never refine evil artifacts, no matter what!"
Mo Huaxin pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, it's not entirely impossible to refine them..."
Ouyang Mu was stunned. "Brother Mo..."
Mo Huaxin whispered, "Little fool, I'm just asking you to pretend to refine them and fool them a bit. Otherwise, with your stubbornness, if that Wolf-tooth Lock bites you a few more times, you might lose your life."
"But..." Ouyang Mu hesitated.
"There's no 'but,' we have to be flexible in our approach," Mo Huaxin said, recalling the malicious artificer's behavior in his mind. "Moreover..."
"That artificer is clearly an experienced old sword forger, and his sword-forging skills are bound to be exceptional. His abilities are probably extraordinary as well."
"When it comes to techniques, while there is a distinction between righteous and evil paths, it's not as clear-cut as you think. You can simply choose the good and discard the bad."
Ouyang Mu still had some concerns. "What if I can't distinguish between them and end up learning the wrong things?"
Learning from a malicious artificer was risky, and one wrong step could lead him astray.
"Don't worry, I'm familiar with this," Mo Huaxin assured him. "I've secretly learned the art of heaven's secrets from my terrifying Senior Brother."
Learning some sword-forging techniques from an old Demon Cultivator was nothing compared to what he had already experienced.
Of course, the main learner would be Little Wood.
He would just provide "guidance" from the sidelines.
"I'll teach you what to do when the time comes," Mo Huaxin said.
"You'll teach me?"
"Mmhmm."
Ouyang Mu was perplexed. "How will you teach me?"
"Just wait, rest up, and I'll figure it out..." Mo Huaxin said before disappearing again.
This left Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Mu staring at each other, unsure of Mo Huaxin's true intentions.
Song Jian also looked bewildered.
Mo Huaxin quietly returned to the spirit pivot formation room.
There, he rummaged through his storage bag, using all the available formation materials, and then "developed" a secret "message-sending talisman" of his own.
Now it was going to come in handy.
Mo Huaxin returned to the prison cell and handed the handkerchief to Ouyang Mu, instructing him, "Wrap this handkerchief around your arm. Tomorrow, when you see that malicious artificer again, I'll tell you what to say and do on the spot."
Ouyang Mu's eyes widened in surprise.
Was this really possible? He looked at the handkerchief in his hand and felt that it was similar to the "cheat sheet" people used to cheat during the sect's assessment.
And he would be getting the answers on the spot.
"So, should I... agree to the old... malicious artificer's demands tomorrow?" Ouyang Mu asked, a little uncertain.
"Mm-hmm," Mo Huaxin nodded.
He pondered for a moment, then said, "However, you can't be too obvious about it. Otherwise, if you adamantly refused today and then suddenly agree tomorrow, he will definitely know something is up."
"So, you have to learn to 'act' a little..."
"Act?" Ouyang Mu was taken aback.
"Yes, act!" Mo Huaxin nodded, and then patiently explained to him, "Tomorrow, you will still refuse at first."
"...But then, you should reveal a bit of your yearning for the Sword Dao, and your expression should show a hint of wavering, as if you're attracted by the profound sword principles of the evil sword."
"Then, you verbally refuse but show a compromising expression, pretending that you can't bring yourself to refuse..."
Mo Huaxin explained in detail and asked, "Do you understand?"
Ouyang Mu nodded, and then shook his head.
He seemed to understand, but at the same time, he didn't quite get what Mo Huaxin was trying to convey.
After all, he had always been an honest child, and suddenly being asked to act and deceive others was something he couldn't quite wrap his head around.
Mo Huaxin patiently explained again and then said, "Now, you try acting it out for me to see."
Ouyang Mu tried to follow Mo Huaxin's instructions and made an expression.
Mo Huaxin evaluated, "Too stiff, your expression is too wooden, your gaze is not sincere enough, and it doesn't look natural..."
"Let me show you an example," Mo Huaxin said, and then he demonstrated for Ouyang Mu, looking serious and as stiff as a piece of wood.
Then his eyes lit up as if he had seen a treasure; his gaze shifted away, indicating inner turmoil; he bit his lip, showing inner conflict; and finally, he sighed, as if he had finally made a difficult decision and was going to compromise...
In just ten breaths' time, Mo Huaxin's expression changed several times, as natural and smooth as drinking water.
Ouyang Mu was stunned, and he couldn't help but murmur, "As expected of Brother Mo, you're amazing..."
Aside from formations, Mo Huaxin was even good at acting.
Linghu Xiao and Song Jian, who were on the side, had complicated expressions on their faces, not knowing what to say.
"Do you understand now?" Mo Huaxin retracted his expression and asked Ouyang Mu.
Ouyang Mu nodded, "I understand a little..."
"It's alright, practice it when you have time. You're an introvert by nature, a bit wooden, and not good at being flexible, so you'll definitely be at a disadvantage. That's why it's important to learn some acting skills, which will definitely come in handy in the future."
Mo Huaxin reminded him.
Ouyang Mu nodded, still a little unsure.
So, that night, Ouyang Mu diligently practiced various subtle expressions as instructed by Mo Huaxin.
The next day, as expected, a demon cultivator came and took Ouyang Mu to the artificer's chamber from the day before.
The elderly, hunchbacked old demon cultivator, the malicious artificer, was already waiting in the forging chamber.
It was unclear if he had arrived early or if he had been holed up in the chamber the entire time, never stepping out.
After Ouyang Mu entered, the artificer didn't waste any time and, just like the day before, handed him a piece of white bone.
"Refine this bone..."
The artificer instructed.
Following Mo Huaxin's instructions, Ouyang Mu first shook his head in refusal, "I won't do it!"
But his expression was a little stiff and not smooth enough.
"There are some flaws... but it barely passes," Mo Huaxin silently commented.
This malicious artificer had no idea that after just one night, Ouyang Mu had learned so many "tricks."
The artificer didn't suspect anything and coldly smiled, "Then, let's give you some more 'incentive'."
He took out the wolf-tooth lock and clamped it onto Ouyang Mu's body.
Ouyang Mu endured the pain and didn't make a sound.
After a while, his expression became more and more painful and difficult to look at.
This wasn't an act, as it really hurt.
After a moment, the artificer asked again, "Have you thought it through? If you refine this bone, you won't have to suffer as much."
"I can also teach you my craft."
Ouyang Mu didn't know what to say, so he lowered his head and flipped his sleeve.
There were "lines" that Mo Huaxin had given him written on his sleeve.
Ouyang Mu gritted his teeth and read out loud, word for word, "I am a disciple of the Taihe Sect's Ouyang family, inheriting the most orthodox sword-forging technique. How could I possibly stoop to your level and join you demons in forging evil artifacts?"
"I don't care about your evil and heretical crafting techniques at all!"
Ouyang Mu's tone was not natural enough.
But as an "honest person," when an honest person spoke harshly, it was even more infuriating.
As expected, the artificer was displeased and coldly smiled, "Taihe Sect, sword-forging techniques? The Taihe Sect has taken the wrong path, what can they teach you?"
"Follow me, and I will teach you the true way of sword-forging."
"I will teach you how to temper blood, nurture sha, forge sword bones... and I can even pass on to you several sword formations..."
Mo Huaxin, who was eavesdropping above, was stunned.
Sword formations?!
This old artificer actually had sword formations, and not just one but several?! Mo Huaxin took a deep breath.
"The Heavenly Secret Arts truly didn't deceive me!"
"Master's copper coin is indeed amazing!"
"There's so much 'wool' to shear from this Myriad Demon Valley..."
(End of Chapter)
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