Chapter 75: The Demon Tiger Descending the Mountain Ornament

For Magistrate Wu and his associates, the lost-wax method of casting bronze was hardly a rare craft; even the local wealthy landowners in the countryside could manage it. However, the specific techniques required to craft the tiger bone ornament involved subtle maneuvers that demanded Wang Liang’s personal intervention.

As the Master of Yuanshan Temple raised the crucible of molten bronze, glowing a searing red, Wang Liang stepped naturally toward the tiger bone structure, which had already been encased in clay. Two small holes had been opened at the base of the tiger’s feet, and an aperture for pouring the molten bronze had been fashioned at the tail. Ordinarily, such an ornament would be designed to receive the bronze through the tiger’s mouth. But because Wang Liang was crafting a "Descending Tiger"—a pose with the head angled downward—pouring only through the mouth would have left most of the bones untouched by the metal, resulting in a failed piece. Thus, he had no choice but to inject the bronze from the tail.

He kept his gaze fixed on the molten flow. Once the Master of Yuanshan Temple had poured the bronze, Wang Liang watched the body of the descending tiger intently. Soon, the dried clay mold turned a fiery red as the heat of the bronze permeated the entire casing, and the beeswax, which melted easily, began to drain out through the two small holes at the base.

As the liquid dripping from the mold shifted from the color of wax to a glowing crimson, Wang Liang made his move. He struck the ornament with his palm. At the impact, the piece emitted a low, resonant tiger’s roar, and the entire frame vibrated violently—much like a great cat shaking itself dry after emerging from the water.

Under this tremor, the clay mold encasing the tiger bone shattered and fell away, revealing the work beneath. Everyone present beheld the finished Descending Tiger ornament: a bronze-cast mountain path upon which stood a skeletal frame, white as jade, captured in the mid-stride of descending the slope. The bones were not held together by any visible connectors, yet the structure was remarkably stable; no matter how it was moved, the frame remained perfectly intact.

As the white smoke dissipated from the bones, Magistrate Wu hurried forward. "This is it! I have seen a tiger bone ornament once before, and it looked exactly like this."

At that moment, a notification appeared for Wang Liang.

[Ding! You have completed the Tiger Bone Ornament. You have mastered the preliminary production method for Tiger Bone Ornaments. The design blueprint has been consumed.]
[Ding! As you do not possess a Crafting sub-profession, the production method for Tiger Bone Ornaments has been categorized under Archaeology. Please view the details.]

Wang Liang was momentarily stunned. Categorizing the crafting method under Archaeology simply because he lacked a crafting profession? What kind of logic was that? With this curiosity, he opened his character panel and noticed a plus sign had appeared beneath his Archaeology skill. Expanding it, he found a new sub-option: Paleontological Fossil Assembly. Within this category lay the crafting method for the "Demon Tiger Descending" ornament.

He began to grasp the nature of the system, though he remained puzzled by terms like "paleontology" and "fossils," and why they required such convoluted assembly. Driven by his questions, he opened the entry for the Demon Tiger Descending ornament.

[Demon Tiger Descending (Tiger-type skeletal ornament)]
[Quality: Green to Purple]
[Trait: All weapons within the ornament's radius (10m to 500m) gain a temporary Sharpness attribute (Attack Power increased by 30 to 300) for a duration of 1 hour.]
[Note 1: Using ordinary tiger bones caps the quality at Green; items below Green quality possess no trait bonuses. Using the bones of an Ancient Demon Tiger King caps the quality at Purple; this ornament cannot exceed Purple quality.]
[Note 2: The production method for this ornament can be applied to others, but be aware that many paleontological fossils are of low inherent quality, and high temperatures may destroy their original properties.]

Reading these notes, Wang Liang understood the situation. He turned his attention back to the ornament he had just created, and its specific stats appeared before his eyes.

[Demon Tiger Descending of the Heavenly Injury Star (Demon Tiger skeletal ornament)]
[Quality: Purple]
[Trait 1: All weapons within a 500m radius gain a temporary Sharpness attribute (Attack Power increased by 300) for 1 hour.]
[Trait 2: Pouring wine over the ornament (effects vary based on wine quality) temporarily increases the maximum Health (HP increased by 300 to 1000) of all soldiers within the radius for 1 hour.]
[Trait 3: Destroying the ornament deals 3000 damage to all enemies within its radius.]
[Description: An ornament crafted from the soul and bones of the Jingyang Ridge Demon Tiger, suppressed by the collective fortune of the people. Regardless, none can deny the baleful aura it exudes.]

Wang Liang had never imagined the ornament would possess such formidable attributes. Not only did it bolster weapon sharpness and attack power, but it also provided a temporary surge in vitality. Seeing these stats, he felt a flicker of reluctance to hand it over to Magistrate Wu.

Magistrate Wu could not see the hidden attributes, but he sensed the ornament's immense power and wore a triumphant smile. He knew this was the pinnacle of his career; once presented to the court, the capital would be shaken, and it was not impossible that they would build another "Demon Tiger Hall" in Bianliang. He could then be transferred from Yanggu County to a more prestigious post in Henan Province or beyond.

Eager to keep such a treasure in his sight, the Magistrate immediately ordered the captain of the county guards to escort the ornament away. Watching the guards carry the Demon Tiger Descending out of sight, Wang Liang realized his chance to study it further had passed.

Fortunately, the arrival of the City God of Lu to bid him farewell helped soothe his regret. From their assurances, Wang Liang learned that the City God intended to submit a report on Wang Liang’s meritorious service. Although the official recognition of his military achievements required imperial approval and would take time, it would likely arrive alongside the rewards for Magistrate Wu’s report. There was no need for Wang Liang to wait in Yanggu County; he could go wherever he pleased, and as long as he remained alive, the rewards would find him.

Relieved by this, Wang Liang decided against returning to Yanggu County. Instead, he chose to head in the opposite direction of Jingyang Ridge, intent on wandering through other cities.