Chapter 31: Intermediate Yellow-Rank Battle Armor · [Black Knight]!
In the inner courtyard of Wan Yao Zhai, Xiao Yi Xian's purple-gray eyes widened as she looked at the gift Jiang Lin had given her—a pair of fluffy slippers. Each slipper featured a plump little puppy head at the front, incredibly soft to the touch.
What girl could possibly resist something so cute?
Still, holding the puppy slippers in her arms, a faint blush crept up Xiao Yi Xian's ears. Her delicate nose gave a soft snort as she playfully scolded, "They're adorable, but how could I wear these outside…"
Jiang Lin looked at her plain teal dress, then glanced at the blue-and-white gradient slippers in her arms. Considering how, socially, this world was still stuck in a feudal stage, Jiang Lin scratched his head with a grin. "No worries. You can just wear them in your room."
"Hmph~ Xiao Linzi, you just want to make fun of me!" Xiao Yi Xian, rarely showing such bashfulness, wore a conflicted look as if making a major decision. She stole a glance at Jiang Lin, then tossed her head proudly and walked away with a huff.
Watching the girl's departing figure, Jiang Lin felt a swirl of complicated emotions—part relief, part regret—and silently let out a breath.
'It's a little bit of a pity… If she had asked me where these cute puppy slippers came from, I might've just told her: from two little puppies.'
And if Xiao Yi Xian's sympathy kicked in, Jiang Lin would have solemnly told her not to worry—they're with their family now and passed on happily.
The two smaller pups had become slippers for Xiao Yi Xian. As for the two adults, Jiang Lin had saved some materials from their bodies to forge himself a proper pair of shoes for his "barefoot" condition.
A Dou Zhe could only look inward; only a Dou Shi could project their Dou Qi outward. In order to train Explosive Step, Jiang Lin had worn cloth shoes for three years—and usually ruined them in no time.
After seeing Xiao Yi Xian off, Jiang Lin looked up toward the second floor of the house. In the shadows of the loft, Mr. Yao's face appeared, glancing down at him. Jiang Lin immediately headed upstairs.
Inside the loft, alongside Mr. Yao was someone Jiang Lin knew well but often overlooked—Fu Bo, the head steward of Wan Yao Zhai and Mr. Yao's trusted aide, a one-star Dou Shi.
"Mr. Yao," Jiang Lin greeted.
Mr. Yao nodded and gestured for him to sit. Fu Bo had already prepared tea and snacks for the two.
"The spy you mentioned inside Wan Yao Zhai—I've identified them." Mr. Yao looked at Jiang Lin quietly, lost in thought.
Was he surprised Jiang Lin had slain two Rank Two magical beasts despite a lower realm? Or was it Jiang Lin's rapid cultivation?
Earlier that night, Jiang Lin had returned through the back garden from the Magical Beast Mountain Range and immediately sought Mr. Yao, stating that someone in Wan Yao Zhai had leaked his movements—he had been set up.
At dawn, Mr. Yao informed Fu Bo, and they discreetly investigated several staff members.
"Coincidentally, Wan Yao Zhai has a herb-gathering expedition into the mountain today. Fu Bo's already made the arrangements."
Whether that person would come back... depended on their own luck.
"Have we figured out who set the trap?" Jiang Lin didn't care about their life or death—not even enough to ask their name. Wan Yao Zhai treated its people well. If someone still chose betrayal, then they should be prepared to vanish.
It had only been the last couple of months that Jiang Lin had been sneaking out at night into the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Aside from Mr. Yao and a few others, someone else must've noticed his late-night disappearances.
At first, Mr. Yao disapproved of Jiang Lin running off into danger at night. After all, he was only a mere one-star Dou Zhe…
But then Mr. Yao saw Jiang Lin in full armor for the first time: a complete battle armor set covering his limbs and torso. Without even wearing a concealing cloak, the sight of Jiang Lin gripping a greatsword, decked in metal, gave Mr. Yao genuine chills.
Armguards, skirt armor, chestplate, backplate, leg guards—and the brat even made a helmet and facemask! All pieces were of Intermediate Yellow Rank! In all his life roaming the world, Mr. Yao had never seen such an extravagantly equipped Dou Zhe!
"You don't need to worry about this for now. We'll find a way to strike back later," Mr. Yao told him, waving off the topic.
Jiang Lin nodded, chatting a bit more before politely taking his leave.
Mr. Yao's silence implied the other party involved might be a Da Dou Shi—it wasn't wise to provoke them just yet.
However—
"Fu Bo, spread the word: the magical beasts over at Xingyue Mountain were two Rank Two Moonhowl Wind Wolves. They've already been slain by me. Warn the mercenary groups not to spread false information again." Without fanfare, Mr. Yao had taken the blame for Jiang Lin's identity.
Jiang Lin's spiritual perception was sharp—strong enough that even Dou Shi and Da Dou Shi couldn't tail him unnoticed. No one truly knew who was sneaking out of Wan Yao Zhai at night, or how many.
"Yes, Mr. Yao," Fu Bo replied, then quietly withdrew.
"Heh... and here I thought he was helping supplement Wan Yao Zhai's household needs, yet he secretly forged an entire set of Dou Qi armor…" Alone in the loft, Mr. Yao couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
"When you reach Dou Shi, this little pond called Qingshan Town won't be able to hold you anymore." Mr. Yao felt that the day Jiang Lin would defeat the king of the Magical Beast Mountain Range wasn't so far away after all.
Elsewhere, Jiang Lin returned to his own courtyard. A bloodstained package still sat there. From it, he pulled out two blue-green magic cores and selected a few potentially useful materials, then entered his forging room.
Deep within that room hung a full suit of armor on the wall. Mr. Yao had described it a bit inaccurately—Jiang Lin's battle armor was styled more like an exoskeleton. His original idea had been to forge a modern, full-body exosuit for close combat. But limited by time and energy, the result was a blend of modern design elements with ancient metal armor—prioritizing comfort and practicality.
"Once the Dou Crystal is ready, battle mechs will really be a thing."
The matte black-gray armor had a name: [Black Knight].
Jiang Lin stepped forward and wiped it down. A 5mm deep scratch ran across the chest. "Damn... I really can't afford to clash head-on like that again. Might lose my life next time." Even though the chestplate of [Black Knight] was twenty millimeters thick at its densest point, Jiang Lin constantly reminded himself—don't show off, don't play fancy, no micro, just win clean and fast.
"Alright, next up is the shoes—the final piece of [Black Knight]."
[Black Knight] had taken Jiang Lin an entire year to forge—piece by piece. Now, only the boots were missing for it to be complete.
Head, chest, hands, legs, feet—five pieces, each tied to a specific battle equipment stat bonus—'attributes'!
And Jiang Lin planned to give the shoe piece a passive attribute: enhanced speed.
He could already hear it—when [Black Knight] was finally completed, the entire Magical Beast Mountain Range would be calling his name—
Invincible!
(END CHAPTER)
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