Zhang Zhi originally wanted to stay in bed for a little longer but a sudden rustling in his blacksmith woke him up.
“Could it be a thief?”
Zhang Zhi got up, he quietly made his way to the blacksmith via the backdoor and he saw a little black blob drinking water at his quenching pool.
“Gosh, it’s a big armadillo! Wait, isn’t it the one that I released the other day?” Zhang Zhi exclaimed.
The armadillo that was drinking from the quenching pool got startled by Zhang Zhi’s sudden appearance. It lost its balance and fell into the colorful pool and almost drowned itself.
Zhang Zhi was speechless. He fished the armadillo out of the water. “You little rascal, I released you back to the mountains and you came back? Do you want me to strangle you?”
The armadillo coughed some water out and looked at Zhang Zhi with an aggrieved look. It shook its arms and legs strongly as if it could understand Zhang Zhi.
Zhang Zhi did not really want to kill the armadillo, he was just toying with it. The system could replenish the Five-colored Water whenever it was dry and the armadillo only had a few sips, even his usual quenching drained off more water than the armadillo drank.
While Zhang Zhi felt amused, he realized something. The blacksmith’s Guardian Mountain Formation could withstand even a Nascent Soul Patriarch, no one should be able to sneak in, so how did the little armadillo come in, twice!
“Little guy, can you hear me? How did you sneak in here? Come clean now.” Zhang Zhi realized the armadillo was quite smart, so he tried asking.
The armadillo was stunned for a moment, it really seemed like it understood Zhang Zhi’s words. Embarrassed, it raised its claw and pointed at somewhere.
Zhang Zhi followed its claw and saw a hole in a secluded corner.
“What in the… Good grief! You can dig a hole through the Guardian Mountain formation?”
Zhang Zhi could not even cut a piece of the wall with his Nouveau Riche yet the armadillo dug a hole through it.
The armadillo reacted strangely as if it could not understand what Zhang Zhi said.
Zhang Zhi changed his approach. “Here, dig a hole for me.”
He put the armadillo on the ground. The armadillo looked at Zhang Zhi in disbelief and pointed at itself with its claw as if it was asking Zhang Zhi whether he was sure about the request.
“Dig! Or else I’ll strangle you!” Zhang Zhi threatened it.
The armadillo shook in fear. It then started digging as ordered. Its claws turned golden when it started to dig and the wall with the Guardian Mountain Formation felt like a piece of paper in front of the golden claw.
It was able to dig out quite an amount of dirt from the wall with its claws.
Zhang Zhi was speechless. He knew that many animals were gifted with unusual talents, it seemed like the armadillo was gifted with the ability to ignore formations and dig holes in them.
Zhang Zhi told the system, “System, I don’t know whether this is a loophole or not but you told me before that the Guardian Mountain Formation could withstand the attacks of a Nascent Soul Patriarch, so why am I seeing an armadillo digging a hole in the wall?”
The system beeped in his head after a while. “Loophole fixed. Blacksmith’s defense system is increased again. Host is rewarded with 1 cultivation level.”
“Tsk tsk, it’s really a loophole?” Zhang Zhi was extra happy when he sensed the Intermediate Foundation Building power in him.
As for the armadillo, the hole that it dug was repaired by the system and it was confused. It did not want to give in though, it continued to swing its claws and try to dig another hole.
However, after the reinforced defense, the armadillo’s digging became useless, even if it caused sparks with every swing, the wall did not budge.
A while later, the armadillo looked at Zhang Zhi with a confused look. It was trying to ask why it could not dig anymore, there was a hole in the wall a moment ago but now it was gone. It felt angry.
Zhang Zhi giggled. “Okay, okay, stop torturing yourself. I’ll release you back to the mountain after today’s work.”
The armadillo looked a little disappointed. Then, it swiftly crawled to Zhang Zhi and hugged his leg, it seemed like it did not want to leave.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to leave?” Zhang Zhi was wondering why the armadillo stuck to him. It was said that animals with a certain level of intellect would choose to follow someone powerful and it seemed like the armadillo chose well.
While Zhang Zhi was flattered by his own thought, the armadillo shook its head and pointed at the quenching pool. It was trying to say, “I don’t want to leave the water…”
“You really know your stuff!” Zhang Zhi ridiculed. The water in the pool was melted from the Five-colored Stone, even though Zhang Zhi used it for quenching, it seemed like the water benefited the armadillo.”
“Speaking of which, what can the water do when you drink it?” Zhang Zhi wondered if it could be used to increase his power, he might want to have a sip when the system was not looking.
When the armadillo heard Zhang Zhi’s question, it showed off its claws, as if it was saying drinking the water was good for a manicure.
Of course, it was what Zhang Zhi assumed. The armadillo really wanted to say that the water could reinforce its claws.
Zhang Zhi looked at his fingers and it removed the thoughts of taking a sip of the water. If his nails became as golden as the armadillo, it would be embarrassing.
“Little guy, I mean if you really want to stay in my shop, you can but… You have to acknowledge me as your master,” Zhang Zhi said as he grinned sinisterly.
Even though the armadillo could not dig a hole on the wall anymore after the defense of the blacksmith was updated, it could still drink from the pool to reinforce its claws. Maybe when it got stronger, it could open another hole.
All Zhang Zhi needed to do then was report it for a cultivation level and get another update on the defense. He was more than happy to do it.
As for the armadillo drinking from the pool, it must also be a loophole but Zhang Zhi could choose not to report it, he was rather a long-sighted person. He wanted the armadillo to continue drinking and grow stronger.
However, the armadillo had to acknowledge him as his master first, he did not want the armadillo to run away after getting what it wanted.
The armadillo possessed intellect, it knew what a master meant. Acknowledging Zhang Zhi as its master would mean placing its life and death in his hands.
However, when it saw the evil grin on Zhang Zhi, it shook its head ceaselessly.
“Think about it. If you call me your master, you can drink all the water you want.” Zhang Zhi tried to tempt it.
The armadillo was surprised. Even though placing the right to control its life and death in a human hand was not wise, the Five-colored Water was too tempting. Even though it knew it was a trap, it would jump in willingly.
Zhang Zhi concentrated and a drop of blood essence appeared on his finger. The blood essence was dropped to the armadillo’s head and it disappeared. The blood essence would then brand itself in the armadillo’s soul and Zhang Zhi could take its life with a single thought.
After the little ritual, the armadillo ran to the quenching pool for a drinking buffet, as if the pool was its true master.
Zhang Zhi was speechless. He pulled the armadillo away and said, “You can only drink it at night.”
It would be dangerous if Zhang Zhi allowed the armadillo to drink from the pool during the day, if the system found out that the armadillo had been drinking from the pool, it would surely fix the loophole.
The system did say that the water in the pool could not be used for anything else other than quenching, so the armadillo could only drink at night.
The armadillo looked sad. ‘You liar! You said you can drink all I want, why can’t I drink it now?’
It spat on Zhang Zhi and collapsed in a corner of the backyard, it looked like it had lost all hope in life.
Zhang Zhi opened the door for business as usual, but there were no customers. He found a new hobby, which was watching people fall down in front of him.
All the cultivators who walked by his blacksmith would see the pricing and it would shock them, turning their legs to jelly.
Zhang Zhi found it interesting.
A while later, Han Ling’er arrived at the blacksmith in a cheerful mood.
Confused, Zhang Zhi asked, “Aren’t you competing in the inner ranking battle?”
“You don’t need to worry. I’ve made it to the next round. The next match starts tomorrow. Since I’m free, I thought I’d come to work.”
There was nothing to do in the blacksmith either but Han Ling’er did not want to take Zhang Zhi’s money without really doing work.
“Then you should take a rest after your match. Why are you here?” Zhang Zhi waved, signaling her to go back.
“Well, it’s like resting here as well, so…” Han Ling’er looked all pitiful in front of Zhang Zhi.
“Please don’t tell me that you are chasing me away, boss!”
“I…” Zhang Zhi thought for a while. Since there was no business, as usual, she could rest as long as she wanted.
He then said, “Okay, if you want to sleep or meditate, you can go to my room.”
Han Ling’er flushed and nodded bashfully.
With Han Ling’er around, Zhang Zhi was not that bored.
Then, he thought of the new pet that he got today and grabbed the armadillo from the backyard.
“Look, the armadillo from the last time!”
Han Ling’er was surprised. She chuckled. “It came back?”
“Yeah, it even begged me to become its master, so I guessed I’d take the little guy in,” Zhang Zhi said without even flinching.
The armadillo rolled its eyes white at Zhang Zhi as if it was saying that it did not believe what he said.
Then, when it saw Han Ling’er, it reacted happily. Maybe because it was the natural reaction in all living beings when they saw a beautiful girl, it felt a lot better and extended its claw, asking for a hug.
Han Ling’er smiled and wanted to carry the armadillo.
Zhang Zhi then acted like the master that he was and said, “Don’t you spit on her like you did the last time!”
The armadillo spat on Zhang Zhi as if it was saying, “I will only spit on you!”
Han Ling’er found the scene funny but all of a sudden, her hand quivered and the armadillo almost fell off her hands.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Zhi saw blood at Han Ling’er’s arm and it shocked him.
“You are hurt?”
Han Ling’er nervously said, “it’s fine, it’s just a flesh wound.”
Zhang Zhi frowned. He grabbed her hand and rolled her sleeve up. There was a huge cut on her fair arm.
He quickly got the medicine and some gauze to treat her wound. He angrily said, “This is a flesh wound? Who did this?”
It was the first time Zhang Zhi reprimanded Han Ling’er, she felt scared but touched at the same time.
“I was careless during the match. It will be fine after a few days,” Han Ling’er said honestly.
“Your opponent is also a top 10 inner disciple?” Zhang Zhi was rather confused.
In normal circumstances, since everyone knew Han Ling’er was one of the previous top 10 inner disciples, they would not be this harsh, unless her opponent was also of the same rank.
“No, but my opponent was strong…” Han Ling’er averted Zhang Zhi’s gaze.
It was then Han Ling’er’s friend, Tang Tang, came into the shop.
“Owner Zhang, she’s hurt because her Flying Swan was taken away by Dugu Ce!”