Eternal madness

Chapter 62 Old Helmsman, where are you?

Zhang Laifu carried a lantern and shone it on Yang Enxiang's corpse from head to toe and from toe to head for two hours, but he still couldn't get a clear picture of his skill.

Among the books Wang searched for by lamplight were records about collecting skilled craftsmen, the core of which was to use light to illuminate the skilled craftsmen.

The book doesn't specify how strong the light should be or which part to shine on. Several books offer a common explanation: follow the direction of the light's beam.

What kind of force is the lamp's energy?
The specific details in the book are now impossible to verify, because all the books were swallowed by the wooden box and their whereabouts are unknown. Zhang Laifu can only rely on his memory to find out.

Time is not so plentiful. Right now, it's relatively easy to retrieve the "Masterpiece of Skill". Li Yunsheng once said that after three to five hours, the soul leaves the body, and if you want to retrieve the "Masterpiece of Skill" again, you have to find someone with a special trade.

In the blink of an eye, another hour had passed. Zhang Laifu couldn't hold on any longer. Practicing his special skills was already very hard, and after another fierce battle, he was severely exhausted and couldn't keep his eyes open.

As I drifted off to sleep, the lantern in my hand suddenly began to move along with my palm.

Am I hallucinating?
Extremely tired people sometimes exhibit uncontrollable behaviors. When Zhang Laifu was taking professional classes, his notes often contained writing that even he couldn't understand. At the end of these writings, there might be a long, drawn-out stroke.

This stroke might run through several lines. If there are still some watermarks in the lower middle part of the notes, it proves that you slept well while taking the notes.

Zhang Laifu suspected that his current state was similar to that in the classroom, but when he came to his senses, he found that he had found his source of inspiration.

The lantern did indeed lead the way, and following its guidance, after another half hour, a bundle of cloth appeared on Yang Enxiang's body.

This cloth ball was two sizes smaller than the palm of your hand, shaped like a garlic bulb, larger at the bottom and smaller at the top, with a handle on top.

It feels very soft when you squeeze it, as if it's stuffed with cotton.

Is this a skilled craftsman? What is this thing used for?
Zhang Laifu accepted the cloth bag first.

On Yang Enxiang's body, Zhang Laifu found a bottle of ink and a stack of Xuan paper.

The ink was for rubbing artists, and the Xuan paper was fireproof; these were all considered good things, and Zhang Laifu accepted them all.

In addition, there were thirty-six silver dollars, eight copper coins, and an umbrella.

Zhang Laifu patted the lampshade cover: "Wife, you'll be living a good life with me. Our income is becoming more and more stable!"

On the way to Miedao Forest, Li Yunsheng gave Zhang Laifu some body-dissolving liquid. Zhang Laifu poured some out and dissolved Yang Enxiang's corpse.

This stuff is harmless to living people, but it turns to ash instantly when touched by a dead person. Open the window, and a cloud of dust drifts out. Once the bloodstains on the ground are wiped away, all traces of Yang Enxiang are completely erased.

Zhang Laifu placed more than a dozen lanterns in the room, put the lantern-making materials by the bed, and made sure the doors and windows were locked before crawling into bed and taking a nap.

Zhang Laifu had a good dream tonight. He dreamt that a wooden box opened, and inside was Xiao Zhu's exquisite craftsmanship, as well as the more than three hundred silver dollars and more than five hundred coins that he had earned before.

Zhang Laifu was squatting in his bedroom, happily counting his money, when suddenly he heard a series of loud bangs. Startled, he dropped the silver coins he was holding.

The waterwheel started turning, the old helmsman arrived, and this time we had to fight him to the death.

In the midst of the chaos, Zhang Laifu woke up with a start, his body drenched in sweat that soaked the blankets.

Thankfully it was just a dream; the shadow cast by the old helmsman was far too severe.

Clang!

What's happening?
The waterwheel is making a sound.

"What are you doing?" Chai Badao shouted from downstairs, "Why did you bring the waterwheel into the house? Are you trying to tear my house down?"

Zhang Laifu walked out of the bedroom and saw the waterwheel parked in the living room on the first floor.

He reached into his pocket, but the wooden box was gone again. As for why it had turned into a waterwheel, Zhang Laifu still couldn't figure it out.

Chai Badao handed a stack of rough-edged paper to Zhang Laifu: "The market ended too late last night, and it was already past midnight when I got back. I figured you were asleep, so I didn't go looking for you."

Zhang Laifu paid the money and casually asked, "Are there many things at the market?"

Chai Badao looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "There were really a lot of good things at yesterday's market."

What kinds of things are there?

"There are vendors selling bowls, and vendors selling those with exquisite craftsmanship."

"Is the craftsmanship excellent? Is it genuine? How much does one cost?"

"I don't know, the price was negotiated privately. Whether the goods are genuine depends on your eye, and whether the price is fair depends on your skill!" There are skilled craftsmen selling their wares at the market!

Zhang Laifu has two exquisite crafts; if he sells one, he'll definitely make a fortune!
Chai Badao went to work with his bamboo-splitting knife, and before leaving, he specifically instructed Zhang Laifu: "Hurry up and move the waterwheel away. How can my bamboo house withstand your tinkering?"

Zhang Laifu almost forgot that the box had turned into a waterwheel, so he quickly took the contents out.

He returned to the bamboo house and found that the waterwheel was no longer in the living room.

Has it turned back into a box? Where did the box go?

Zhang Laifu searched around and suddenly heard a clattering sound coming from the stairs.

The waterwheel has somehow ended up on the stairs.

He climbed the stairs, lifted the lid of the water tank, and stuck his head inside. While searching for something, he cursed at the water truck: "What are you doing upstairs? Where did you put my things? You dared to take them without saying a word, do you know that's blatant robbery? Do you know that's theft?"

Bang!

The water tank lid fell off and hit Zhang Laifu squarely on the back of the head.

That hurt quite a bit, and Zhang Laifu was dizzy for a while.

"You dare to do something bad again? You just wait, I'll set you on fire in a bit. I'll start a fire right now. If you're so capable, let me out..." Zhang Laifu's head was stuck in the water tank and he couldn't get out.

He braced his feet against the water tank, strained his head backward, and after about ten minutes of struggling, he finally managed to pull his head out.

After his head came out, Zhang Laifu touched his neck and felt that it had grown at least half an inch longer.

Enraged, Zhang Laifu kicked the car.

Bang, bang, bang!
The car rushed down the stairs.

This is a staircase; there's nowhere to dodge to the left or right.

Judging from the power and momentum of the car, Zhang Laifu realized that something was wrong.

He took off running, but he couldn't outrun the car and was knocked out the door.

Zhang Laifu fell to the ground, his face was scraped, and he had a mouthful of dirt.

Bang, bang, bang!

The lid on the water tank kept rattling, each sound pounding against Zhang Laifu's heart.

Zhang Laifu got up from the ground, wiped the blood off his face, grabbed a lantern, and returned to the bamboo house with red eyes.

Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sounds of fighting came from inside the bamboo house. Chai Badao sighed, "We ripped off renting this house. That kid must have broken it! But this doesn't make sense. Why would this silly boy fight with a waterwheel?"

……

At dusk, Li Yunsheng returned and saw Zhang Laifu standing in the yard, washing his wound with cold water.

"Brother Laifu, you can't wash like that, or you'll get frostbite!"

"I'll just wipe it off; cool water will relieve the pain."

Zhang Laifu was seriously injured. Li Yunsheng treated his wounds and asked, "Who did you fight with?"

“I played two matches. The second one was really tough, but it wasn’t for nothing. I’ve learned how to use this.” Zhang Laifu took out a box and tapped it three times in three different places on the lid.

boom! boom! boom!
The wooden box made sounds of different pitches, sounding like drums.

From this sound, one can discern one thing: Zhang Laifu's craftsmanship was refined using Lao Yu's skills, while this waterwheel was cultivated by Lao Tuozi.

The wooden box suddenly expanded, becoming a wooden chest, then a wooden cabinet, and finally taking the shape of a waterwheel.

Li Yunsheng gave a thumbs up: "What a powerful weapon, Brother Laifu! This battle was well worth it!"

“I also think it was worth it! Brother Box and Brother Car are both nice people, easy to get along with,” Zhang Laifu smiled honestly. “My first battle was also worthwhile. I not only made a fortune, but also learned a special skill.”

Li Yunsheng exclaimed with delight, "You've got a special skill? Then we've got a big business opportunity!"

(End of this chapter)