...
Normally quiet and reserved, Ouyang Mu suddenly became eloquent the moment the topic turned to sword-casting.
Moreover, what he spoke of were insights Mo Hua had completely overlooked before.
Truly, expertise in one field often feels as distant as a mountain in another.
Even though both are under the umbrella of artifact refining, sword-casting stands apart from other disciplines, with profound intricacies of its own.
Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu, admiration clear in his gaze.
This is what they call "professionalism"!
No wonder he’s a direct disciple of the Ouyang family from the Tai’a Sect.
As Ouyang Mu continued talking, he suddenly grew bashful under Mo Hua’s intense gaze. "I... I was just rambling. If I said anything wrong, please don’t mind it, Brother Mo."
"No problem, no problem. You spoke very well."
Mo Hua nodded with a smile but thought inwardly, even if you said something wrong, I wouldn’t be able to tell...
Mo Hua studied Ouyang Mu further and asked:
"Are you planning to become a sword-casting master in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Mu’s expression grew complex. After a long pause, he sighed deeply. "My father won’t allow it..."
Mo Hua was taken aback and asked in surprise:
"Why wouldn’t your father allow it?"
Ouyang Mu said, "My father believes that the Tai’a Sect’s lack of renown in the past was due to prioritizing ’sword-casting mastery’ too much."
"Those who shine are the sword users, not the sword casters."
"The Tai’a Sect’s recent rise to prominence is because the elders decided to use sword-casting mastery as a foundation to vigorously promote the sect’s Tai’a Sword Skill and gradually develop it further."
"Now, within the sect, any disciple with potential must study swordsmanship."
"Only those who can’t develop in swordsmanship are sent to study sword-casting."
"Being part of the Ouyang family’s direct lineage, with so many eyes on me, I am expected to follow my brother’s example: study swordsmanship and serve as a model for the sect disciples."
"If I were to focus on sword-casting, my father wouldn’t be pleased..."
Speaking to this point, Ouyang Mu looked visibly dejected. "It’s just... compared to my brother, I fall so far behind. Whether it’s spiritual roots, cultivation level, insight, charisma, sect prestige, or interpersonal skills, I’m vastly inferior to my big brother..."
The more Ouyang Mu spoke, the quieter his voice became.
Mo Hua sighed deeply.
Having an overly exceptional brother, the pressure on Little Wood was easy to imagine.
Their names matched their personalities. Senior Brother Feng was like a towering, steady, and warm maple tree.
While Ouyang Mu was thin, timid, like a "little wooden stick" that hadn’t yet grown.
The difference between the two brothers was stark.
"But do you want to become a sword-casting master?" Mo Hua asked.
Ouyang Mu nodded. "I’m not good at anything else. Usually, I don’t speak well, I’m mediocre at sword cultivation, clumsy at monster hunting, but I only feel a little happy when I’m sword-casting."
Mo Hua encouraged him, "Then don’t worry about it. Study what you want to study."
Ouyang Mu was visibly conflicted. "But my father..."
Mo Hua asked, "Now that you’re studying swordsmanship, is your father happy?"
Ouyang Mu shook his head. "My father thinks my swordsmanship is terrible; he’s not happy."
"There you go," Mo Hua said, "If studying sword-casting doesn’t make your father happy and studying swordsmanship doesn’t make him happy either, then happiness isn’t the issue. So what’s the difference?"
"Since that’s the case, why not study something that makes you happy?"
Ouyang Mu froze.
As his mind spun around, he suddenly realized Brother Mo’s words...
Made quite a lot of sense.
Whether he studied sword-casting or swordsmanship, his father would be unhappy.
The result was the same either way.
So what was he so conflicted about?
Although he understood this logic, deep inside, he still felt some unease and hesitation.
Mo Hua didn’t expect him to figure everything out immediately. Instead, he comforted him:
"Don’t overthink it. Start by forging the Spirit Swords you still owe me."
Though Little Wood was supposed to study swordsmanship first, he still needed to earn Merit Points.
His swordsmanship skills were not sufficient to support him in earning Merit Points.
He was left with no choice but to rely on sword-casting to earn them.