Chapter 165: [DD]: 165
More than an hour later.
Han Li, who had already reverted to his original appearance, and Lou Gao, grinning from ear to ear, walked side by side down the open staircase. Zhu Zhuqing followed silently behind them.
"Don't worry, brother. I'll craft it for you as quickly as possible. Once it's done, I'll immediately start researching those ideas you mentioned. Ah, what a pity! If only I had met you earlier, I wouldn't have wasted so many years. I regret it so much."
Lou Gao was genuinely sincere as he said this. After listening to Han Li's ideas, he felt as though they should have crossed paths long ago.
"Good things are worth the wait. Brother, you're still in your prime, and there's plenty of time ahead."
Han Li comforted him sincerely as well.
Such a useful "tool person"—even if Lou Gao were on the verge of death, Han Li would want to help extend his life.
This time, he specifically reminded him: a blood sacrifice using a soul beast would suffice; sacrificing oneself to the weapon was unnecessary.
What kind of nonsense was that? A weapon without even a soul, not even considered a proper soul tool, and yet it's worth someone's life?
If he needed something with offensive power, his martial soul could shoot an arrow far more effectively.
Seeing the two getting along so well after chatting for just over an hour, Si Long rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Since when had his teacher become so easy to please?
Nearby, the head of the merchant association had his eyes closed and head bowed, as if he hadn't seen a thing.
"Alright, brother, you go ahead and get busy. I still have urgent matters to attend to and can't stay any longer. Once the work is done, just send it to me through the merchant association."
Han Li gestured to the head of the merchant association standing nearby.
"Alright then, I won't see you off. To be honest, brother, I'm already itching to get started."
Lou Gao laughed heartily, making no effort to hide his excitement.
"You're a real straight shooter, brother. Looks like it's only a matter of time before you succeed."
Han Li gave him a thumbs-up, praising the passion of this "tool person."
Lou Gao was even more pleased. Glancing at Zhu Zhuqing beside Han Li, he turned to his disciple.
"Si Long, go fetch those two Eight Treasures Soft Armors and give them to my brother and—"
"Sister-in-law," Han Li said with a smile.
"Yes, to my brother and sister-in-law."
Lou Gao followed along with Han Li's words but inwardly wondered which family this young lady might be from.
"Teacher…"
Si Long hesitated, but one glare from Lou Gao sent him scurrying off.
What a fool—you don't know anything. In other situations, people might not even want to accept such a gift, fearing the obligation it creates.
Seeing his teacher angry, Si Long quickly went off to retrieve the armor.
"Don't mind him, brother. He's a bit narrow-minded and not fit for the big stage."
Lou Gao tried to smooth things over once Si Long had left.
"No worries. After all, it's your painstaking work, brother. I'd feel the same way if I were in his shoes," Han Li chuckled. He truly understood; in fact, he thought Lou Gao was being overly generous.
In a world like Douluo Continent, where defense largely depended on physical strength and defensive martial soul abilities, a close-fitting soft armor that could withstand damage from anyone below level sixty was worth no less than a soul bone, possibly even more.
After all, soft armor didn't consume soul power; it was akin to having a ten-thousand-year defensive martial soul ability permanently attached to your body. That was quite remarkable, and it was the reason why Lou Gao's status as a divine craftsman was so well-regarded.
Of course, most of this reputation came from Lou Gao himself. As for Tang Hao and Tai Tan, they had the titles but no actual works to show for it.
Han Li couldn't help but suspect that the blacksmiths' association had only ranked those two because the Clear Sky Clan was so powerful back then, and they wanted to borrow their fame.
Naturally, he couldn't ask Lou Gao about this. But maybe in the future, if he ran into Tang Hao, he could ask him. Hopefully, Tang Hao wouldn't get too embarrassed by the question.
Since Lou Gao had presented a gift, Han Li naturally had to reciprocate.
After glancing at the head of the merchant association, who was standing quietly with his head bowed as if in deep meditation, Han Li's smile faded. He turned to Lou Gao.
"Remember to honor the oath. Violators will be purified."
This time, he used his spiritual power to impress the words deeply into Lou Gao's mind.
Lou Gao was stunned and looked at Han Li with doubt and confusion, but Han Li's face had already returned to its usual smile, though the words still echoed in Lou Gao's mind.
He hadn't intended to break the agreement anyway. He couldn't afford to offend Spirit Hall.
Just as he was about to ask something, Si Long returned, carrying two boxes.
"Teacher."
"Hand the items to my brother."
Lou Gao's train of thought was interrupted as he pointed toward Han Li.
Han Li casually took the boxes and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing beside him without opening them. He didn't stow them away either; this was a matter of courtesy.
"Alright, brother, I'll take the items. If there are any issues later, we can communicate through the merchant association. I won't keep you any longer — inspiration can be fleeting, after all."
Han Li pointed to the stairs.
"Alright, then. See you next time."
Lou Gao cupped his hands in respect and turned to Si Long.
"You, escort our brother back."
"And never mind about the ores—I'll pick them myself. Don't disturb me shortly unless it's about our brother."
With that, Lou Gao quickly rushed up the stairs. He had been holding back his excitement for a long time.
Han Li smiled and shook his head, then took the initiative to head downstairs. Si Long scratched his head and hurried to follow.
He didn't understand everything that was going on, but he trusted that whatever his teacher said must be right.
Meanwhile, on the fifth floor, Lou Gao had just started looking at the blueprints with excitement when Han Li's earlier words echoed in his mind again. He shivered involuntarily, almost tearing the blueprint by accident.
"What the heck? Why does it keep echoing like this?"
His mind unconsciously revisited the details of the oath. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, so it was better to be cautious.
After dismissing Si Long and the merchant association leader, Han Li and Zhu Zhuqing returned to their room.
"Go ahead and open it. Inside is the soft armor for you. Try it on and see if it fits. While we're still here, it'll be easier to have it adjusted if it doesn't fit."
"Besides, your combat style is close-range. It can resist attacks from anyone below level sixty, so it'll make things a bit safer."
Zhu Zhuqing placed the box on the table, but Han Li pushed it back toward her.
It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything, but after Han Li spoke, Zhu Zhuqing became even more reluctant to touch it.
She looked at Han Li seriously and said, "Give it to Lingling instead. She needs it more than I do."
Han Li stared at her youthful face for a long moment. Eventually, she couldn't bear it and turned her head. Only then did Han Li smile and say:
"No need. This is your gift. Just accept it. As for Lingling, if you don't mind, we could modify the male version and give it to her. What do you think?"
"After all, the soft armor's defense is too low for me."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing finally nodded.
"Alright, let's open them. It's my first time seeing this kind of soft armor, too."
Han Li pulled one of the boxes in front of him and opened it, while Zhu Zhuqing opened the other.
One was blue, the other white and both looked quite exquisite.
Han Li picked up the armor, stretching it hard. The soft armor elongated significantly under his strength, but after he let go, it returned to its original shape.
"It doesn't seem like any adjustments are needed. The elasticity seems sufficient."
Han Li glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who was doing the same thing, and casually remarked.
Afterward, he carefully controlled his strength to test the armor's resistance to elements, energy, and sharp objects. Only after he was satisfied did he put away the blue one.
The light blue color, and the fact that there wasn't much difference between the male and female versions, meant it wouldn't be too strange to give it to Lingling.
His eyes drifted toward Zhu Zhuqing, who was still holding the white soft armor.
"Aren't you going to try it on? What if it doesn't fit?"
His words made Zhu Zhuqing, who was about to put the armor back in the box, pause. She lowered her head and said, "I'll change into it tonight."
Was it the basic white soft armor version? Or the enhanced white gown version?
Of course, Han Li didn't ask aloud. If you pressure a cat too much, it'll run away.
Perhaps sensing Han Li's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing quickly put the box away and changed the subject.
"Do you think the weapons you discussed with Lou Gao can be made?"
She had been listening quietly while they talked and found herself both fascinated and a little afraid.
"If it's just basic guns and cannons, with Lou Gao's skills, it's not hard to achieve. But even if he manages to make them, it'll be difficult for them to take off."
Han Li spoke with confidence. Given his background as a reincarnator and his experiences over the past decade, he could easily make such judgments.
"Why?"
Zhu Zhuqing asked, puzzled. From the way Han Li and Lou Gao had described it, it sounded like soul masters below the level of Soul Saint would have a hard time dealing with such weapons.
"Because the rulers of this world are soul masters. Even though there aren't many of them, there's no doubt that those in power are soul masters and only soul masters."
"Moreover, do you think the Blacksmiths' Association can mass-produce these weapons? Once word gets out, they'll likely be wiped out by the various powers before they can even begin large-scale production."
Han Li thought back to the conditions in Lou Gao's forge and couldn't help but shake his head.
The Blacksmiths' Association was like a one-legged walker, made up of hardcore craftsmen who relied on their martial souls and brute strength to hammer out parts. They even considered casting molds heretical, let alone any sort of assembly-line production.
Still, Han Li didn't see any reason to warn them about this right now. The time wasn't right, and there was no need to rush.
In his long-term plans, the future leaned toward widespread cultivation. Instead of investing too much in traditional firearms, it was better to shift toward soul tools—that was the true future.
The vision he had laid out for Lou Gao pointed in that direction. Of course, a short conversation wasn't enough to cover everything.
That's why Han Li's request after Lou Gao crafted the necessary plot-relevant items, was to have him focus on gunpowder research.
When Lou Gao first encountered the gunpowder formula, he was surprised, but only because it was better than the formulas they had. Eager to enhance the power of firearms, he agreed without hesitation.
Although Lou Gao knew this wasn't quite in line with the grand vision Han Li had painted for him, with no clue how to approach soul tools, he could only settle for being a diligent worker for now.
He could only hope that once the research was complete, Han Li would give him some pointers, allowing him to embark on the so-called blacksmith resurgence and transformation.
On this point, Han Li hadn't deceived him. Even though Han Li wasn't knowledgeable about how soul tools were made, his ability to access the rules allowed him to depict the necessary formations. The biggest challenge, for him, was the simplest one.
One thing worth mentioning: through his conversations with Lou Gao, Han Li confirmed something.
The gunpowder created with the materials available in Douluo Continent was indeed a low-quality version in terms of power.
However, even a low-quality version was enough, as long as the quantity was sufficient. After all, everyone was starting from the same baseline—no one had anything better!
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