Chapter 306: The Deal

The blacksmith rose and said, "The hardness is there, I can forge it into an indestructible treasure, but... it's this heavy — getting it to fly will cost a lot of yuan power, and the speed won't be fast."

Wang Feiyin smiled faintly. "That's why I brought a second material."

He took out a length of wood three chi long.

The blacksmith glanced at it and asked, "Wood? What's so special about this wood?"

Wang Feiyin said, "Try it in water."

The blacksmith led him to the back yard of the house, where there were several large vats filled with water.

Wang Feiyin placed the wood on the water's surface.

The blacksmith watched the wood float up in the vat, unimpressed. "It's wood — isn't it only natural that it floats?"

Wang Feiyin: "Try putting an iron block on it."

The blacksmith didn't have much else here, but he had plenty of solid, heavy round iron blocks — all cast in molds after impurities had been hammered out, of very high quality.

The blacksmith went to the front shop, fetched one, and casually set it on top. The wood sank a little, then slowly rose back up; the waterline was the same as before — it hadn't dropped at all.

The blacksmith was slightly stunned. He immediately went back to the shop, carried over a pile of iron blocks, and first placed one on the other end of the wood, watching it sink slightly before slowly rising again.

The waterline still hadn't changed much.

He stared intently, adding iron blocks one by one. By the fifth, when the wood sank and came back up, the waterline had only dropped a tiny bit.

Seeing the light flash in the blacksmith's eyes, Wang Feiyin said, "So, will you take this job or not?"

"I'll take it!" the blacksmith said. "But three chi of wood isn't enough — add two more chi."

Wang Feiyin: "But I only have three chi. I brought it all."

"I'm a blacksmith. Look at the cut on this end of the wood — clearly just cut not long ago, deliberately made to look old."

After a moment's silence, Wang Feiyin said, "Wood won't do. I can only give this child five zhang."

The blacksmith glared.

Wang Feiyin said with a solemn face, "You know me — I've always been generous. If I could give you more, I would have long ago. You have to understand, I still have three junior disciples and five disciples' disciples. What I've given this child is already the most."

"It's not the scarcity I fear, but the unfairness. I can't play favorites too much — wouldn't that break the harmony of our Mount Sanqing Monastery?"

The blacksmith scoffed. "Generous? What cosmic joke are you telling?"

He raised his chin. "If you won't give it, I won't agree."

Wang Feiyin sighed. "Then I can only go try Taishi Ming. Sigh~ Tiezhu, I've always felt your skill is above Taishi Ming's, it's just, sigh~"

The blacksmith sneered. "Would Taishi Ming work for you for free?"

Wang Feiyin: "He owes me a favor. He has to repay me."

"What favor is worth two zhang of wood?"

Wang Feiyin: "His life."

The blacksmith fell silent at once. Seeing Wang Feiyin actually gather up the wood and the box to leave, his face flushed red and he called out to stop him, grinding his teeth: "The meteorite — I need to cut half of it off and keep it!"

Wang Feiyin agreed in one breath.

The blacksmith felt a little better inside, and continued, "Besides that, I also want a hundred taels of gold."

Pan Yun's eyes went wide; she opened her mouth to speak, but Wang Feiyin, quick as a flash, clamped a hand over her mouth, smiling and nodding: "Deal."

He took from his bosom a gold ingot of about ten taels, smiling. "This is the deposit. The remaining ninety taels — once the dharma artifact is forged, I'll bring the gold."

The blacksmith's expression eased a little. He walked around the box, then said, "This meteorite is incomparably hard — splitting it won't be easy. I'll refine it whole, and when the time comes, I'll separate half and return it to you."

Wang Feiyin agreed.

The blacksmith asked, "Your coming here — no one knows about it, right?"

He said, "This meteorite is no weaker than what Zhang Liuzhen brought out. If people find out, my smithy will know no peace. You have to stay here with me until I finish refining it."

Wang Feiyin said, "Don't worry, no one knows we came here. The thing is here, and I'll keep an eye on this place. If anyone comes, I'm here."

Only then did the blacksmith close the box — the job was accepted.

Only now did he turn to Pan Yun. "Besides height and size, do you have any other special requirements?"

Pan Yun said, "Tall enough, big enough, fast enough — that's all."

The blacksmith liked customers like this, because it left him plenty of room to develop.

He waved his hand. "Alright, off with you."

Wang Feiyin took Pan Yun and they took their leave.

After walking a long way, Pan Yun's chest still ached a little. "Senior brother, are artifact-smiths this expensive here?"

"He's a grand master. Wang Tiezhu's artifact-smithing skill is among the very best — only Taishi Ming of the artifact-smithing family can match him."

Wang Feiyin said, "Although Taishi Ming owes me a favor, I don't think he's suited for you." "Whether a dharma artifact fits a person depends on whether the smith fits the person. I feel you're suited for the artifacts Wang Tiezhu makes."

"He also surnamed Wang?"

"Yes," Wang Feiyin smiled. "Our Wang clan has plenty of talent."

Wang Feiyin took Pan Yun to the market to buy a piece of meat, then to a sundries shop to buy some things. Out of the city, he found a deserted spot and flew Pan Yun back to Mount Sanqing.

This time, Pan Yun was more at ease.

At least she didn't look so afraid.

Wang Feiyin set her down on the ground, and said gently to her, who was clutching the black cat tightly, "Little junior sister, I'm your senior brother, of course I care for you. But out there, they aren't me, and they aren't your kin — they won't cherish you the way we do. I can see you're afraid of heights, but it's not severe — you can overcome it."

"It's just that until now, there was never a need, and someone has always been there to care for you, so you've never had to change."

Wang Feiyin paused, then after a moment sighed: "Although you're about to have a new flying dharma artifact and won't have to endure the fear of treading a flying sword, as your senior brother, I still hope you can be fearless, faster, stronger — only then can you better protect yourself out there."

Pan Yun stared blankly for a moment, then nodded. "I understand, senior brother."

Wang Feiyin waved his hand. "Alright, go back and rest."

! 。Read

Pan Yun didn't leave, but asked, "Senior brother, Miao Zhen and Miao He still don't have dharma artifacts, and there's Cong'er too. Such a big piece of meteorite, and I used up half of it in one go…"

Wang Feiyin explained: "To master any craft to its utmost, one must devote immense effort and time; thus, artifact-crafters rarely have time to seek materials themselves. The guild rule is: if you wish a crafters to forge a magical artifact, you must provide double the materials—the extra half belongs to the crafters."

"The flying artifact you want to forge requires vast materials to begin with; him keeping half is entirely fair, and the hundred taels of gold make up for the other half of wood we couldn't provide."

Wang Feiyin snorted here: "But he'll surely have scraps left over—no need to feel sorry for him."

Pan Yun: "... I'm not sorry for him—I'm sorry for Seeing Miao Zhen and the others. Didn't Senior Brother plan to give this meteorite to them for crafting artifacts?"

Wang Feiyin waved his hand: "They have plenty of time. Even the remaining half is enough to forge several swords; even if it isn't, I can still find other materials."

"Besides," he looked at Pan Yun and raised an eyebrow, "for the next few years, all you'll be doing is studying and training—won't you find your own materials?"

Pan Yun fell into thought.

Her eyes lit up: "Senior Brother, where in Kunlun did you find that wood? I think we should go to Kunlun too."

Wang Feiyin opened his mouth, then said: "It's good you have this ambition. Kunlun holds many treasures—should you go, don't fixate only on the wood; other fine things are worth seeking too."

Wang Feiyin worried about their cultural literacy; he feared that with their current knowledge, they might not even recognize valuable items. So he said: "I have a personal journal here—come get it later. Memorize every word before you head to Long Hushan."

He said: "Long Hushan Academy holds many treasures. When you go, haven't you taken the Heavenly Treasures and Earthly Gems course yet? Don't just stare at textbooks—search the library for old disciples' handwritten notes. They record not only various treasures but also where they've appeared."

Pan Yun: "Write them down, then go find them."

Wang Feiyin patted her shoulder: "Ruzike!"

He shoved all the meat and purchased items into Pan Yun's hands: "Don't overthink, child. Material matters are for us adults. Give the meat to Wang Cong. Tell him I want three kinds of meat tonight."

Pan Yun lifted the meat, silently mourning her senior nephew—this single piece of meat was to be prepared in three different ways.

Pan Yun carried the meat back to the back courtyard.

The back courtyard was silent; only Xiao Hong sat swinging on a swing beneath the corridor, facing the direction from which the incense smoke from the main hall drifted. No one else was there.

Pan Yun curiously asked: "Xiao Hong, where is everyone?"

Xiao Hong said: "Sister Hong Yan is still in seclusion. Everyone else went to the Mountain God Temple. I'm a ghost—it's so boring."

"Then why don't you go to the Mountain God Temple?"

Xiao Hong said: "The human energy down there is too thick today. I'd feel unwell going."

Pan Yun murmured "Oh," hung the meat in the kitchen, and turned to leave to find them. Seeing her faint, translucent form, she asked: "Is your talisman nearly worn out? Shall I replace it for you?"

Xiao Hong refused: "For these two days, I just want to drift—no desire to manifest as a solid form."

Pan Yun was startled: "Why?"

Xiao Hong: "I don't want to cook anymore. I think being a ghost—unseen, untouchable—is better."

Pan Yun sighed deeply. It seemed cooking duties would now fall to Wang Cong and Tao Yan Bai.

Pan Yun floated down the mountain calling out: "Senior Nephew, Third Nephew, Senior Brother says come back and cook!"

Wang Cong and Tao Yan Bai, still sewing blessing pouches with the villagers, didn't look up: "Xiao Hong's still on the mountain."

Pan Yun: "Xiao Hong doesn't want to cook today."

Wang Cong looked up: "Why?"

"Because you make her cook every day—anyone would grow weary doing chores nonstop," Pan Yun said. "You know the saying: slow and steady wins the race. You've been exploiting her too harshly."

Wang Cong regretted it deeply—he should've helped more in the kitchen these past two days. If everyone had shared the burden, she wouldn't have quit now.

Good night

(End of Chapter)