Chapter 32 – Love

At Administrator Zheng’s reminder, Feng Ye retracted the foot that had already stepped over the threshold of the armory.

Watching Feng Ye walk back toward him, Administrator Zheng’s mood swung back and forth between bewilderment and speechlessness.

This was an earth-grade magic weapon! A disciple would normally have to save for a hundred years without eating or drinking to afford one. He didn’t know where this fellow had gotten enough luck to earn the favor of the sect leader and be directly awarded the item.

But as a result, he completely forgot about this magic weapon.

Forgot!

Most people would want to hug a magic weapon to sleep when they received it. Administrator Zheng judged others based on how he would feel in their shoes. Although he guarded the armory and saw countless magic weapons every day, they didn’t belong to him in the end. He was just their caretaker.

Was this fellow really so careless, or did he actually look down on an earth-grade magic weapon?

Were all junior disciples these days so unique in character?

Although Administrator Zheng didn’t say anything, the expression on his face revealed his inner ridicule.

Feng Ye could only give a dry cough and change the subject: “How do I choose the magic weapon?”

Administrator Zheng stretched out his hand, pointing at a shelf of jade slips. He said to Feng Ye: “The items on that shelf are all earth-grade magic tools. The jade slips record the information about them. Tell me when you’ve chosen one, and I’ll go to the warehouse and get it for you.”

Feng Ye thanked him and walked to the shelf he’d pointed out. Facing those piles of jade slips, he began to feel overwhelmed.

There were so many. He didn’t know which one to choose.

Feng Ye didn’t have the patience to look through them one by one. Compared to such an unimportant matter as an earth-grade magic weapon, obtaining the qualification to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm was much more urgent.

He closed his eyes and let his fingers wander over the jade slips, counting in his head in preparation to select whichever one he landed on.

Administrator Zheng watched as Feng Ye looked at the numerous jade slips for a while, then closed his eyes.

Administrator Zheng: “ ? ? ? ” Was this fellow choosing blindly?!

He had been guarding the Armory Pavilion for many years, and had seen many disciples come to select the magic weapons they were awarded. All of those disciples had made their choices carefully, considering the characteristics of the tools and the direction of their own cultivation, the properties of their spiritual roots, and other aspects that should be considered comprehensively to choose the most suitable one.

Administrator Zheng had also honed his patience on this group of people. For those who came to choose magic weapons, it was considered fast if they took three to five hours. If they encountered a difficult choice, they might spend ten days to half a month without coming up with a result.

It was no exaggeration to say that choosing a magic weapon required the same mentality as choosing a wife. After all, magic tools and weapons were precious things to young disciples with no background.

It may be the only one they had in their life. Not everyone could marry three wives and four concubines. What if they married someone they didn’t like? Wouldn’t they suffer in vain?

Feng Ye, however, didn’t seem to harbor such worries at all. Closing his eyes to choose a magic weapon was like entering a dark bridal chamber, not even knowing if his wife was a human or a ghost. 

While Administrator Zheng was speechless over Feng Ye’s actions, Fang Yang ultimately couldn’t help but speak up: “Shixiong, isn’t it too casual to choose a magic weapon like this?”

After saying this, Fang Yang immediately added: “Shixiong, if you don’t know which one to choose, how about asking Hao-dage?”

This one sentence took both Feng Ye and Hao Chen aback.

In fact, Feng Ye hadn’t paused at Fang Yang’s first sentence, and simply went on with his blind selection.

But his second sentence reminded him that, yes, there was also Hao Chen.

Hao Chen’s excuse for coming up the mountain with them was to help him choose a magic weapon. Now that he was here, how could Feng Ye not make full use of him?

Although he knew that Hao Chen wasn’t actually a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, his understanding of magical instruments was likely much better than his own. But he was still very happy to make Hao Chen lose face.

So as Hao Chen was surprised by Fang Yang’s words, Feng Ye turned to him and said with an entertained expression: “Troubling Fellow Daoist Hao Chen.”

Administrator Zheng approved of this, saying: “The disciples of Tiangong Pavilion are well-versed in the characteristics of various magic instruments. With him to help you choose, you’ll definitely pick out the right one. It just so happens that while I’m the caretaker of these magic instruments, I don’t know the ins and outs of each of them, so I’ll take the opportunity to learn more about them today.”

These words implicitly praised Hao Chen and placed him on a pedestal, but at the same time cut off his retreat. Hao Chen had no choice but to choose. And not only did he have to choose – he had to give an explanation as well.

He looked at Feng Ye, then at Administrator Zheng and Fang Yang. Suddenly, he flicked open his fan and covered his face, saying with a smile: “It’s no trouble. This is what I ought to do.”

As soon as he spoke, he went to Feng Ye’s side with a furrowed brow, donning a serious and professional look. He solemnly picked up a jade slip and briefly glanced at the information recorded on it, then shook his head and placed it back on the shelf.

It seemed that this magic weapon was no good. But as for why it was no good…..Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng pricked up their ears, ready to listen to Hao Chen’s advice.

Hao Chen maintained his serious attitude as he said to Feng Ye: “This sword is too gaudy. It doesn’t suit you.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

Before they could recover from their speechlessness, Hao Chen picked up the next jade slip, which was a small cauldron that could only make elixirs.

He peered at it for a moment before shaking his head again: “This little cauldron is pitch black. It’s ugly.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

“What’s painted on this gourd? Is it a regular duck or a mandarin duck? It’s so ugly.” Hao Chen picked up the third jade slip and threw it back in disgust.

The ellipses in the three peoples’ hearts were about to break through the sky.

When they saw how serious Hao Chen looked, they had thought he would have some insightful comments to make. It turned out that Hao Chen’s so-called review of the magic instruments was just commentary on their appearances.

Was there any fundamental difference between this selection method and Feng Ye’s?!

The important things about magic tools were their properties and functions, ah! What was the point of just looking at their appearances!

Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng roared the same words in their hearts.

The corners of Feng Ye’s mouth twitched. 

It was said that a shameless man was invincible, and the truth of this statement had been proven again and again by Hao Chen.

“Oh!” Hao Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up. He picked up a jade slip with a delighted look on his face and handed it to Feng Ye: “This one’s good.”

Feng Ye lowered his head doubtfully, only see that there was a fan recorded on the jade slip. An ivory white fan, which contrasted with the black one in Hao Chen’s hand.

He looked at the summary: “White jade bone porcelain fan, attack level: D. Defense ability: D….”

The attack and defense statistics were divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Power decreased in sequence, with D being the lowest.

Generally speaking, among the four levels of magic instruments, namely heaven, earth, black, and yellow, only yellow-grade magic instruments would have a D rating. In the black or earth grades above it, a D-level rating was rarely seen. If there was, it must be the case that this magic weapon was extremely powerful in another attribute, so strong that the other attributes could be ignored.

However, this white jade bone porcelain fan’s attack and defense were both D-level. If it didn’t have any strong points, how could it be labeled an earth-grade magic weapon?

“Why is it an earth-grade magic weapon?” Fang Yang couldn’t help but ask after seeing both D attributes. He was standing at Feng Ye’s side, peering at the jade slip.

Feng Ye continued reading with the same misgivings. There was a line of clarification written after the introduction: The material used for this fan is rare white jade from Nanshan Mountain, and its worth is unquantifiable. In terms of value, this fan is equivalent to an earth-grade magic weapon.

Feng Ye: “……”

That was to say, this fan had no other advantages other than being expensive.

His expression was too obvious. Hao Chen understood what he was thinking and shook his head, denying in all apparent seriousness: “Besides being expensive, it’s also very nice to look at.”

He brought his fan in front of Feng Ye and compared it to the white jade bone porcelain fan on the slip: “Look, one black and one white. What a perfect match.”

His words had a double meaning. Black and white referred to the two fans, and also to their black and white daoist robes. One set was the uniform black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, and the other the gold-edged white robes of Tiangong Pavilion. 

His meaning was that just as the fans matched, they matched as well. 

Just like Feng Ye always wanted to embarrass Hao Chen, Hao Chen always wanted to flirt with Feng Ye – even though he wasn’t certain if he was attracted to him.

But there’s no problem with flirting first, thought a fat black fish with wicked intentions.

Feng Ye understood, but wished he didn’t. Unlike the simple Fang Yang, who didn’t grasp the implication in Hao Chen’s words at all.

He was terrible at dealing with this sort of thing, because aside from Hao Chen, no one else spoke to him in such a flirtatious manner.

But Feng Ye was unwilling to be defeated like this. He stared at Hao Chen’s fan for a moment before saying abruptly: “Since Fellow Daoist Hao Chen thinks this fan is so good, how about I give it to you, and you give me the fan in your hand?”

The white jade bone porcelain fan looked good, but wasn’t practical. At least it had value though. And from the outside, Hao Chen’s black fan didn’t even look like a magic weapon, just an ordinary folding fan. 

Trading an earth-grade magic weapon for Hao Chen’s ordinary folding fan…..either Feng Ye had been kicked in the head by a donkey, or…..

Perhaps this is love, Administrator Zheng thought.

He and Administrator Zhang were good friends, so he naturally knew all of the gossip Administrator Zhang knew. 

And Fang Yang was thinking, Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage are indeed good friends. He’s even giving an earth-level magic weapon to him so casually.

In everyone’s opinion, this was a sure win for Hao Chen.

Only Hao Chen knew that if they really traded, he would suffer a great loss. This fan was made using one of his tail feathers, of which only one fell off every thousand years. Its value was far beyond that of an earth-grade magic weapon, or even a heaven-grade magic weapon

Thus, he maintained his false smile and rejected the offer: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye may not know, but although this fan is worthless, it carries great meaning for me.”

Feng Ye became more certain when he heard this. He knew that the fan in Hao Chen’s hand must be out of the ordinary, otherwise, why would he carry it with him everywhere?”

He raised an eyebrow and asked with a hint of coercion: “Is there anything more meaningful than Fellow Daoist Hao Chen and I exchanging fans? Or is it that Fellow Daoist Hao Chen is unwilling to give his up?”

“This…..” Hao Chen was momentarily stumped. He glanced at Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng, who were awaiting his explanation, and an idea suddenly occurred to him. He said with a sigh: “There is nothing to be unwilling about. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye wants it, don’t even mention taking the fan – he can also take me at will.”

Feng Ye: “……”

No. He didn’t want him at all.

Before he could express his rejection, Hao Chen suddenly unfolded his fan and used it to cover both himself and Feng Ye. He then leaned closer to Feng Ye’s ear and whispered half-truthfully: “This fan is so important to me that I can only give it to my future life partner. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye takes it, he’ll be responsible for me, ah.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He looked from Hao Chen to the fan in his hand, then immediately took three or four steps back, fearing that Hao Chen would blackmail him if he happened to break it.

Hao Chen continued to stand there, covering his lips with his fan. The smile on his lips was hidden, but his exposed peach blossom eyes still revealed his delight at having teased him.

The fans were not traded in the end, but Feng Ye didn’t pick out a different earth-grade magic weapon. He was going to choose blindly anyway, so it would be the same no matter what.

He was also too lazy to bother. Holding the newly-acquired white jade bone porcelain fan, he descended the mountain along the usual route with Hao Chen and Fang Yang.

Standing at the entrance of the Armory Pavilion, Administrator Zheng gazed after the two figures, one in white and one in black, with their matching black and white fans. He stroked his beard with a sigh: This is love, ah…..

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Chapter 31 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 33