Chapter 172: Get Paid More

Without needing an announcement, the zither music abruptly ceased. The musician behind the curtain asked, "What is it?"

"Assistant Liu brought in a client who needs a saber repaired. It's He Lingchuan, the eldest son of He Chunhua, the new Governor-General of Xiazhou. Master Li mentioned using wujin; and also…"

The person behind the curtain cut him off. "Wait, the new Governor-General of Xiazhou, and his surname is He?" A hint of interest entered the voice. "The former Prefect of Qiansong Prefecture?"

"Most likely. Young Master He's attendant just bragged that Grand Tutor Sun was captured by the He father and son."

"Oh? I only knew He Chunhua exerted great effort, risking his life to enter the Coiling Dragon Desert. How could his eldest son also share the credit?" The person behind the curtain chuckled, "Is that just a boast?"

"Ah, this humble one wouldn't know." Manager Zhao only concerned himself with his own duties. "Master Li said the broken blade he brought is a spiritual artifact, and its spirit is still intact. Master Li, please explain."

Li Fubo stepped forward and said respectfully, "The spiritual artifact Young Master He wishes to have repaired is a ring-hilted saber. It's not of this dynasty's style; the blade is somewhat long, and its weight is considerable. The ring hilt depicts a flood dragon, not the common Yazi. It broke about one-third of the way down from the tip. Its spiritual essence is clear; not only does it recognize its master, but its bond with Young Master He is quite profound."

The person behind the curtain asked, "The saber is broken, yet its spiritual essence is still lucid?" He then took a book from a nearby shelf.

"Lucid. Therefore, to repair the saber, wujin must be used, employing the 'blade-seeding' method."

"Manager Zhao, what kind of person is this Young Master He?"

"He's only about sixteen or seventeen, full of youthful vigor, seemingly no different from any typical wealthy young master." There's little remarkable about youths of that age; like newborn calves, they often believe themselves supreme, while truly humble ones are exceedingly rare.

The person behind the curtain scoffed, "An ancient spiritual artifact, recognizing a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears rich boy as its master?"

Li Fubo replied, "Perhaps he has had some extraordinary fortune."

"This He family, father and son, are quite interesting," the person behind the curtain drawled. "Using wujin to repair a spiritual artifact is certainly making good use of resources. However, He Chunhua was originally just a prefect in a poor, remote borderland. Could his son really procure enough funds to repair a saber? What a shame. Manager Zhao, sell him another weapon, and give him a significant discount. Say it's from Songyang Manor, in recognition of their achievements."

Manager Zhao exclaimed, "Ah, this humble one had initially advised him just so, but Young Master He produced Grand Tutor Sun's Violet Gold Pestle and asked us to appraise it."

The person behind the curtain snapped his book shut, his voice abruptly rising. "What did you say? Sun Fuping's Violet Gold Pestle?!"

Both replied "Yes" in unison. Li Fubo confirmed, "It has been verified; it is indeed this precious pestle, and it is completely intact!"

"How could this be...?" The person behind the curtain grew agitated, but his subsequent words were too low for either of them to hear.

Manager Zhao added, "Such a treasure, with its renowned prestige, could serve as our manor's crowning jewel if acquired. My Lord, we cannot let this opportunity pass."

Silence fell behind the curtain.

The two could only wait.

After a while, the Lord finally spoke. "You're right, we cannot miss this. Manager Zhao, provide him with the wujin, and also gift him thirty catties of gold mud to nurture the saber."

"Your Lordship is indeed generous," Manager Zhao said, then retreated with Li Fubo.

After they left, the person behind the curtain neither played the zither nor read. He simply leaned against the couch, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

What a figure Sun Fuping was, possessing such divine powers and grand ambitions, only to meet his end with regret in the remote border desert, slain by an obscure minor official. Even his cherished magical artifact was seized and is now being exchanged for money.

Ha, the Violet Gold Pestle for money. If Sun Fuping were aware of this in the afterlife, his coffin lid would barely stay shut, wouldn't it?

But what exactly transpired in the great desert?

About fifteen minutes later, Manager Zhao returned, but empty-handed.

His words were a little hesitant. "My Lord, Young Master He is asking for an additional one hundred thousand."

"What?!"

"He said that the Violet Gold Pestle's value far exceeds that of wujin and gold mud, and the exchange is therefore unfair... he needs more money," Manager Zhao said, clearing his throat. "I argued logically, but Young Master He countered that the Violet Gold Pestle is a highly sought-after item, and if he can't sell it here, he'll take it to another artifact guild."

"You lost your composure in front of the Violet Gold Pestle, didn't you?" the person behind the curtain said with dissatisfaction. "That's why the boy dared to ask for such an exorbitant price."

Manager Zhao flushed with shame, stammering inarticulately. He had appraised treasures for many years and, by rights, should be adept at concealing his emotions to avoid being exploited. Yet, a mere country bumpkin producing the Violet Gold Pestle had completely shattered his composure.

This was the personal magical artifact of Sun Fuping, the former Grand Tutor and trusted confidant of the Grand Marshal, who had nearly thrown the capital into chaos!

This single fact alone could generate immense hype, not to mention its astonishing power when wielded by a formidable master.

Given such a valuable treasure, it was no wonder he lost his composure.

The person behind the curtain, understanding this, thought for a moment. "Very well, give him one hundred thousand and waive the forging fee. During the blade-seeding process, instruct Li Fubo to remain by his side."

Manager Zhao let out a soft gasp.

When had the Lord ever offered such exceptionally generous terms? He reminded, "This humble one observes that Young Master He intends to stay only briefly in Shihuan."

"Hmm, blade-seeding takes a considerable amount of time. Let Li Fubo return only after the saber is fully repaired." The person behind the curtain mused, "I have a few instructions; convey them to him."

So, Li Fubo is to travel with Young Master He? After hearing this, Manager Zhao bowed and turned to carry out the order.

He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised by the reply Manager Zhao brought back.

In his view, an additional one hundred thousand was still too little. However, Li Fubo explained that the thirty catties of gold mud alone were worth at least several thousand silver taels and were an essential base material for blade-seeding.

Manager Zhao explained, "Growing crops requires nutrients and soil; blade-seeding is no different. Wujin provides the nourishment, and gold mud serves as the soil. Neither can be omitted. Typically, after purchasing wujin, you would also need to acquire gold mud."

He Lingchuan silently wondered, *'What about hydroponics, then?'*

Assistant Liu quietly conferred with He Lingchuan, but this time he also spoke on the manor's behalf: "Young Master, Grand Craftsman Li will accompany you! This is an opportunity one couldn't find even if searching with a lantern!"

What most appealed to He Lingchuan was precisely this: Li Fubo would accompany him throughout the journey, returning to Shihuan only after the broken saber was fully restored.

Songyang Manor is a bona fide artifact guild. The Chief Grand Craftsman of the Central Forge holds a highly esteemed position, comparable to a peak master elder of an ancient immortal sect. Such an individual would never casually accept employment. Had He Lingchuan not presented the spiritual artifact, he wouldn't even have been granted an audience with Li Fubo, let alone have this Grand Craftsman accompany him north to Xiazhou.

It went without saying that even if Li Fubo agreed for monetary reasons, Songyang Manor would never consent.

If he were to seek repairs from another artifact guild, the availability of such a technique and the quality of the repair would be uncertain. Li Fubo had already stated that the blade-seeding method could take anywhere from a few months to one or two years to complete. This would mean leaving his broken saber in Shihuan City and returning to retrieve it after six months or even two years.

Over such a long period, would unforeseen circumstances arise?

Even if the artifact guild enjoyed a sterling reputation, the State of Yuan was far from peaceful, plagued by frequent natural disasters and man-made calamities. Hong Xiangqian's righteous army had almost crossed the Hong River, pressing south towards Shihuan City; and the Grand Marshal had recently rebelled, nearly seizing the capital. If He Lingchuan were to leave his broken saber in Shihuan City, could he be confident of retrieving it should war and chaos erupt?

Moreover, he had largely staked his future cultivation prospects on the Coiling Dragon Illusion, meaning he could not be separated from his beloved saber for even a moment.

Thus, the moment the condition 'Grand Craftsman Li accompanies you north' was presented, He Lingchuan knew he couldn't refuse. This was no longer merely about money.

"Excellent, it's settled!" He Lingchuan was equally decisive, pushing the Violet Gold Pestle forward. "This now belongs to Songyang Manor."

Manager Zhao joyfully put it away, then turned and ordered his staff to bring out the wujin and gold mud prepared in the back hall.

To He Lingchuan's surprise, this metal, valued at over one hundred thousand silver taels, was merely a black lump, resembling a large piece of coal and utterly lacking metallic luster. Had Li Fubo not been assigned to accompany him for the entire process, He Lingchuan would have almost doubted Songyang Manor's integrity.

Maotao, too, was dumbfounded. "This... this is wujin?"

"Appearances can be deceiving," Li Fubo said. "Its true nature isn't like this on the inside."

The gold mud, however, lived up to its name, resembling golden ink paste, utterly devoid of impurities. Manager Zhao explained that it was actually a blend of various rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures mixed in specific proportions. Each artifact guild possessed a unique gold mud formula, with varying degrees of efficacy. Songyang Manor's product, he asserted, was naturally of the highest quality and entirely trustworthy.

He Lingchuan carefully stored both items and then signed a contract with Manager Zhao. As the agreement pertained to Li Fubo, the Grand Craftsman also affixed his signature and handprint to it, then said to He Lingchuan, "Young Master He, I look forward to your guidance in the future."

He Lingchuan smiled, his mood exceptionally good. Who would have thought that coming to an artifact guild to repair a broken saber would end with gaining the accompaniment of a Grand Craftsman? He was also quite curious. "Your Lordship is truly too courteous. I should thank him in person."

Manager Zhao relayed the Lord's message: "His Lordship said that if fate decrees, you will surely meet again. Young Master He need not rush."

He escorted the three to the main gate of Songyang Manor before respectfully bidding them farewell. Li Fubo needed to return to pack his belongings and would meet them at the inn where the He family was staying the following day.

He Lingchuan re-entered the carriage and casually tossed a silver ingot to Assistant Liu. "You handled this well." He then asked Assistant Liu, "Are the artifact guilds in Shihuan City always so courteous to people?"

"How could that be?" Assistant Liu chuckled. "Even influential figures within the Daoist sects often disregard imperial officials. While Songyang Manor operates as a business, its core tenets are fairness and integrity, not humility or deference. I've interacted with Manager Zhao numerous times, and he always looked down on people; when has he ever smiled so fawningly as he did today?"

He, too, felt a sense of vindication. "In this humble one's opinion, it was the significance of the treasure Young Master He presented that truly held sway; even Marquis Songyang must regard you with increased esteem."

He Lingchuan laughed heartily, appearing quite pleased. "It seems Sun Fuping was quite influential around the capital. Even his magical artifact carries its own aura."

"That was the Grand Tutor, a man capable of manipulating a nation's destiny — no exaggeration! For over two decades, even princes and nobles showed him utmost deference." Assistant Liu bowed to him. "The He family actually managed to slay him. Truly, a family of generals! Heaven bless the Great Yuan!"