Chapter 245 - 142: True Dragon Raises Its Head

"If it’s inconvenient for Master Luo, I can have Shopkeeper Liu forge it for me instead."

"Are you in a hurry for it?" Luo Yunzhi mused for a moment before saying, "It’s best if my father forges a Top Grade Inner Armor. Otherwise, if he sobers up and finds out that Shopkeeper Liu wasted such a valuable material, he’ll be furious.

Of course, I’m not saying Shopkeeper Liu’s forging skills are poor, but he’s always been a bit less seasoned than my father.

How about this: wait a little longer, and I’ll go hurry my father along. I’ll drag him over here even if he’s drunk."

With that, Luo Yunzhi hurried off again.

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Luo Yunzhi returned, dragging in a sturdy old man who looked to be in his late fifties, with graying hair and a beard.

He wore coarse clothes, his face was flushed, and he reeked of alcohol. His large eyes were bleary and slanted as he staggered along, seemingly half-drunk and half-sober.

Needless to say, this had to be the previous Patriarch of the Luo Family, Luo Tiezhu.

"Aiyah... I’m telling you, Yunzhi, this old man is happy lately! I need to stay roaring drunk for half a month before I can forge anything. It’s no use dragging me over here like this."

As he entered the room, Luo Tiezhu was still muttering and grumbling loudly.

Without a word, Luo Yunzhi pushed her old man down into a chair, picked up the teapot from the table, and started pouring tea into his mouth.

Forced to drink more than half the pot with loud gulps, Luo Tiezhu finally sobered up a little. Seeing Luo Yunzhi pick up the teapot to brew more, he quickly waved his hands and shouted:

"I’m awake! This old man is awake!

Sigh... You girl, all you know is how to bully your old dad, huh?

It’s just forging a set of Inner Armor, right? This old man will get to work! I’ll get to work!"

Luo Yunzhi smiled faintly. "Now that’s more like it!"

Luo Tiezhu shook his head, stood up, and glanced at Chen Cheng. "So you’re the kid who wants Inner Armor forged?"

Chen Cheng cupped his fists. "That’s right."

Luo Tiezhu stroked his short, tea-dampened beard and nodded with a proud look. "Hmph. You’ve got good taste, kid. Let me tell you, the name ’Master Tiezhu’ is quite renowned in Linji City.

There’s no Inner Armor in this world that I, Luo Tiezhu, can’t forge."

As he spoke, Luo Tiezhu walked over to the table, opened the wooden box containing the Black Gold, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Whoa! Such a huge piece of Black Gold! Kid, which family’s young master are you from in the Inner City?"

Luo Yunzhi, who was standing by, said, "Ah Cheng isn’t a young master from the Inner City. He’s a disciple of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall and a Tributor for our Luo’s Shop."

"Brother Zheng’s disciple, hmm? Not bad. You look quite handsome and capable, kid. This old man likes you. Are you married yet?"

Hearing Luo Tiezhu call his own son-in-law ’Brother Zheng’ so casually, Chen Cheng couldn’t help but almost laugh, barely managing to suppress a smile.

But Luo Tiezhu had sharp eyes and noticed immediately. He glared, his eyes wide, and blustered, "What the hell are you laughing at, kid?!

Brother Zheng is two months my senior! He was even an apprentice at my Luo Family’s Blacksmith Shop back in the day!

As for Yunzhi’s marriage... sigh... if that girl hadn’t been hell-bent on marrying Brother Zheng, this old man really wouldn’t have agreed so easily!"

Luo Yunzhi’s face flushed slightly as she chided, "Dad, why do you always have to bring up sore subjects?

Never mind that. You need to hurry and forge the Inner Armor for Ah Cheng, and while you’re at it, forge a pair of Dragon Eagle Iron Claws for Ah Hu, too."

With that, she nodded to Chen Cheng and quickly left.

"Go on, kid. Get to your own business," Luo Tiezhu said to Shu Xiuming.

"Yes, sir." Shu Xiuming complied, cupped his fists toward Chen Cheng, and took his leave.

Only then did Luo Tiezhu study Chen Cheng carefully, his eyes full of suspicion. "Inner Armor forged from Profound Gold—which is smelted from Black Gold and Profound Iron—is incredibly heavy. Can you really wear it, kid?"

Chen Cheng nodded slightly and said casually, "Wearing it occasionally won’t be a problem."

"If that’s the case, then we’ll do as you wish. This old man will see what the quality of this Black Gold is like."

Luo Tiezhu nodded, then reached out and grabbed the Black Gold, channeling his strength to lift it. To his surprise, the Black Gold was so heavy it didn’t move an inch.

His old face flushed red. He quickly used his full strength, his gnarled, muscular hand trembling slightly as he finally managed to lift the Black Gold brick and place it on the table.

"It really is pure Black Gold!" Luo Tiezhu smacked his lips and muttered to himself, "This old man was also a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm in my day. A pity my qi and blood have waned, and my Power Dao is not what it used to be."

An ordinary Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm can punch with over a thousand catties of Power Dao, but without training in a skill like the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill, trying to lift a brick-sized piece of Black Gold weighing over three hundred catties is extremely difficult.

For Luo Tiezhu, with his advanced age, waned qi and blood, and still recovering from a drunken stupor, to be able to lift the Black Gold was already quite impressive.

"What kind of Inner Armor do you want forged, kid? Heart-Protecting Armor, Fish Scale Armor, Chain Armor, or Mountain Pattern Armor?"

Chen Cheng knew nothing about Inner Armor and couldn’t answer right away. After a moment of thought, he described the Iron Armor he was currently wearing.

After listening, Luo Tiezhu thought for a moment and said, "I know about the Armor Stacking that mountain hunters use.

If that’s what you want, then forging it into Mountain Pattern Armor would be more suitable. This old man will draw up a quick sketch of Mountain Pattern Armor for you. See if you’re satisfied with it."

"Alright," Chen Cheng said.

When Luo Tiezhu got to work, he was surprisingly quick. He immediately grabbed a charcoal pencil and yellow paper from within the room and began sketching the Inner Armor.

In no time, a rough sketch of the Inner Armor was complete.

"This Mountain Pattern Armor’s plates interlock in the shape of the Chinese character for ’mountain.’ It combines the features of both Fish Scale Armor and Chain Armor, but it’s easier to wear than either of them and won’t hinder a Martial Artist from using their Martial Arts Skills."