After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 172: Chapter 173: That’ll Be Extra

There was no need for an announcement. The music of the zither stopped abruptly. The person playing behind the curtain asked, "What is it?"

"Assistant Liu referred a customer to the shop to have a blade repaired. It’s Hee Lingchuan, the eldest son of the new Governor of Xiazhou, Hee Chunhua. Master Li says it will require Zhu Gold. Also..."

His words were cut short by the person behind the curtain. "Wait. The new Governor of Xiazhou is also a Hee?" The voice carried a hint of interest. "The former Prefect of Qiansong County?"

"That should be him. Young Master Hee’s attendant was just boasting that the Hee father and son were the ones who took down National Preceptor Sunx."

"Oh? I only heard that Hee Chunhua went to great lengths, risking his life to enter the Panlong Desert. How is his eldest son also getting credit?" The person behind the curtain chuckled. "Is it just boasting?"

"That, I do not know," Steward Zhao said, only clear on matters within his own purview. "Master Li says the Broken Blade he presented is a Spiritual Artifact, and its spirit is still intact. Master Li, please, tell him yourself."

Li Fubo stepped forward and said respectfully, "The Spiritual Artifact Mr. Hee wishes to repair is a Ring-Headed Blade. It’s not in the style of the current dynasty—the blade is rather long and heavy, and the ring pommel features a Flood Dragon, not the more common Vengeance beast. It’s broken a third of the way down from the tip. Its spirit is lucid; it not only recognizes its master, but also shares a deep bond with Mr. Hee."

The person behind the curtain asked, "The blade is broken, yet its spirit is still lucid?" He then picked a book up from a nearby shelf.

"It is. That’s why repairing it requires Zhu Gold and the Seed Blade method."

"Steward Zhao, what is your impression of this Mr. Hee?"

"He’s only sixteen or seventeen, full of himself, and seems no different from any other rich young master." There wasn’t much to say about boys his age; like newborn calves, they all thought they were the greatest in the world. The truly humble and respectful ones were as rare as a phoenix’s feather.

The person behind the curtain scoffed. "A Spiritual Artifact from an ancient dynasty would acknowledge a wet-behind-the-ears, sixteen-year-old rich kid as its master?"

Li Fubo replied, "Perhaps he has had some fortunate encounters."

"This Hee father and son are quite interesting." The person behind the curtain drew out his words. "Using Zhu Gold to repair a Spiritual Artifact is putting it to good use. But Hee Chunhua was originally just the Governor of some poor, remote borderland. Could his son possibly scrape together enough money to repair a blade like this? What a pity. Steward Zhao, sell him a different weapon. Give him a deep discount, and say it’s a token of Songyang Prefecture’s appreciation for his deeds."

Steward Zhao sighed. "That’s what I tried to persuade him to do, but Eldest Young Master Hee took out National Preceptor Sunx’s Purple Gold Pestle and asked us for an appraisal."

With a SLAP, the person behind the curtain snapped his book shut. His voice shot up. "What did you say? Sunx Fuping’s Purple Gold Pestle?!"

"Yes," they both answered in unison. Li Fubo affirmed, "We have already inspected it. It is undoubtedly the Treasure Pestle, and it’s in perfect condition!"

’How could...’ The person behind the curtain was visibly shaken, but his next words were too quiet for either of them to hear.

Steward Zhao added, "A treasure like this, with such a famous history, could serve as our shop’s centerpiece. Lord, we cannot let this pass."

There was silence from behind the curtain.

The two men could only wait.

After a long moment, the Lord finally spoke. "You’re right. We cannot miss this. Steward Zhao, give him the Zhu Gold in exchange, and add a gift of thirty catties of Golden Mud for nurturing the blade."

"You are generous, my Lord," Steward Zhao said, then withdrew with Li Fubo.

After they left, the person behind the curtain neither played his zither nor read his book. He simply leaned back on the couch, staring out the window in a trance.

’What a man Sunx Fuping had been, with such Divine Techniques and grand ambitions, only to die full of regrets in a remote desert, at the hands of some unknown minor official. Even his beloved Magical Artifact was taken, and now it was being pawned for cash.’

’Heh, trading the Purple Gold Pestle for money. If Sunx Fuping knew what was happening from the great beyond, he’d be rolling in his grave.’

’But what exactly happened in that desert?’

A little over a quarter of an hour later, Steward Zhao returned, empty-handed.

He stammered slightly as he spoke. "Lord, Eldest Young Master Hee is asking for an additional one hundred thousand."

"What?"

"He says the value of the Purple Gold Pestle far exceeds that of the Zhu Gold and Golden Mud, making the trade unfair. So... he wants more money." Steward Zhao cleared his throat. "I argued with him, but Eldest Young Master Hee said the Pestle is a hot commodity. If we won’t buy it, he’ll just go to another Artifact Sect."

"You lost your composure in front of the Purple Gold Pestle, didn’t you?" the man behind the curtain said, displeased. "That’s why the boy dared to make such an outrageous demand."

Steward Zhao flushed with shame, mumbling incoherently. He had appraised treasures for many years and was normally skilled at keeping a poker face so as not to be taken advantage of. But seeing a Rich Young Master from the countryside pull out the Purple Gold Pestle had shattered his defenses completely.

This was the personal Magical Artifact of Sunx Fuping, the Former Imperial Tutor and close partner of the Grand Commandant, a man who had nearly turned the National Capital upside down!

That fact alone was a massive publicity draw. Not to mention its astonishing power in the hands of a Great Power.

It was no wonder he had lost his composure in the face of such a monumental treasure.

The person behind the curtain understood this as well. He thought for a moment and said, "Fine. Give him the hundred thousand. Waive the forging fee, and have Li Fubo stay by his side during the Seed Blade process."

Steward Zhao drew in a sharp breath.

When had the Lord ever offered someone such generous terms? He ventured a reminder, "From what I can tell, Eldest Young Master Hee will only be staying in Shihuan for a short while."

"Mm. The Seed Blade process takes a long time. Let Li Fubo return only after the blade is repaired." The person behind the curtain thought for a moment. "I have a few instructions for him. Pass them along."

’So Li Fubo is to follow Eldest Young Master Hee wherever he goes?’ After hearing the instructions, Steward Zhao bowed and turned to carry them out.

...

Hee Lingchuan was also a little surprised by the reply Steward Zhao brought back.

He felt that asking for only a hundred thousand more was a bit low, but Li Fubo had said the thirty catties of Golden Mud were worth at least several thousand silver. It was also an essential base material for the Seed Blade process.

Steward Zhao explained, "Growing crops requires nutrients and soil; the same goes for ’growing’ a blade. The Zhu Gold is the nutrient, and the Golden Mud is the soil. Neither can be missing. Normally, after buying Zhu Gold, you would have to buy Golden Mud as well."

’Then what about hydroponics?’ Hee Lingchuan thought to himself.

Assistant Liu was whispering conspiratorially with Hee Lingchuan, but this time he spoke up for the other party. "Eldest Young Master, Master Craftsman Li will be accompanying you! That’s an opportunity you couldn’t find even if you searched with a lantern!"

This was the part that most tempted Hee Lingchuan: Li Fubo would travel with him and only return to Shihuan after the Broken Blade was fully mended.

Songyang Prefecture was a bona fide Artifact Sect, and the Chief Master of the Central Furnace held a very high position, comparable to a Peak-Lord Elder of some great Immortal Sect from Ancient Times. Such a person would never casually take on outside work. If Hee Lingchuan hadn’t presented a Spiritual Artifact, he would never have even met Li Fubo, let alone have the Master Craftsman follow him north to Xiazhou.

It was unthinkable. Even if Li Fubo agreed for the sake of money, Songyang Prefecture would never have approved it.

If he went to another Artifact Sect to repair the blade, setting aside whether they even had this technique or could do the job properly, Li Fubo had already said the Seed Blade method would take several months at the shortest, and up to a year or two at the longest. That meant he would have to leave his Broken Blade in Shihuan City and come back for it half a year or even two years later.

With such a long timeframe, couldn’t something go wrong?

Even if the Artifact Sect had a good reputation, the Yuan Kingdom was hardly peaceful at the moment. Natural disasters and man-made calamities occurred every other day. Hong Xiangqian’s Rebel Army had nearly crossed the Hongchuan River to march south and press on Shihuan City; the Grand Commandant himself had just recently staged a rebellion that almost took the National Capital. If Hee Lingchuan left his Broken Blade in Shihuan City, could he be confident he’d ever get it back if war and chaos broke out?

Moreover, he had pinned most of his future Cultivation prospects on the Coiling Dragon Illusion Realm, which meant he couldn’t be separated from his beloved blade for a single moment.

So, the moment the condition "Master Craftsman Li will accompany you north" was offered, Hee Lingchuan knew he couldn’t refuse. This was no longer about money.

"Alright, it’s a deal!" Hee Lingchuan was decisive. He pushed the Purple Gold Pestle forward. "This now belongs to Songyang Prefecture."

Steward Zhao happily secured the pestle, then turned and ordered his men to wheel out the Zhu Gold and Golden Mud that had been prepared in the back hall.

To Hee Lingchuan’s surprise, the metal, worth over a hundred thousand silver, was just a black lump. It looked like a large chunk of coal, with no metallic luster whatsoever. If Li Fubo weren’t going to be with him every step of the way, Hee Lingchuan would have begun to doubt Songyang Prefecture’s integrity.

Fuzzy Peach was also dumbfounded. "Th-this is Zhu Gold?"

"Just as you can’t judge a person by their appearance, this isn’t what it looks like on the inside," said Li Fubo.

The Golden Mud, on the other hand, lived up to its name. It looked like golden Sealing Clay, without a single impurity. Steward Zhao explained that it was actually a concoction of various Celestial and Earthly Treasures mixed in a specific ratio. Every Artifact Sect had its own unique formula for Golden Mud, with varying levels of quality and effectiveness. Naturally, the one produced by Songyang Prefecture was of the highest quality, guaranteed to be an honest product for all customers, and so on and so forth.

Hee Lingchuan stored both items away and signed a contract with Steward Zhao. Since the contract concerned Li Fubo, the Master Craftsman also signed it and added his Hand Seal before turning to Hee Lingchuan. "Eldest Young Master Hee, I look forward to our journey together."

Hee Lingchuan was grinning, in an excellent mood. Who would have thought that coming to an Artifact Sect to repair a Broken Blade would end with him taking a Master Craftsman home? He was also very curious. "Your Lord is too kind. I should thank him in person."

Steward Zhao relayed the message verbatim: "The Lord says that if fate allows, you will surely meet again. Eldest Young Master Hee need not be anxious."

He escorted the three to the main gate of the Songyang Prefecture before respectfully bidding them farewell. Li Fubo needed to go back and pack his things; he would find them at the inn where the Hee Family was staying tomorrow.

Hee Lingchuan climbed back into his carriage and casually tossed an ingot of silver to Assistant Liu. "You handled this well." Then he asked, "Are the Artifact Sects in Shihuan City always this polite to people?"

"How could that be possible?" Assistant Liu chuckled. "Even the big shots in the Daoist Sects often give officials of the Royal Court the cold shoulder. Songyang Prefecture may be open for business, but their main selling point is fairness and honesty, not humility and reverence. I’ve dealt with that Steward Zhao several times, and he always looks down his nose at people. When have you ever seen him smile so fawningly?"

He, too, felt a sense of vindication. "In my humble opinion, it’s because the treasure you presented carries so much weight, Eldest Young Master Hee. Even Marquis Songyang has to hold you in high esteem."

Hee Lingchuan laughed heartily, looking quite pleased with himself. "It seems Sunx Fuping was quite the big shot around the National Capital. Even his Magical Artifact comes with its own halo."

"He was the National Preceptor, a man who could manipulate the very fate of the nation! No joke! For the past twenty years, even the highest nobles had to be utterly respectful in his presence." Assistant Liu cupped his hands in a salute. "For the Hee Family to have actually killed him... truly a father and son of martial prowess. Heaven blesses Da Yuan!"