“The Jin Family?” Qian Duoduo glanced at Jin Buhuan, who was motionless in the Golden Toad, and stood up.
Jin Buhuan’s diary recorded that the Jin Family had not contacted him for a long time.
The only one he had interacted with was Jin Buque.
And Jin Buhuan’s death was definitely related to Jin Buque.
Upon entering the shop, two strangers stood at the counter, one old and one young. Their appearance vaguely resembled Jin Buque, so it seemed they were indeed from the so-called Jin Family.
“Bu Huan, come here.” The older one, seeing Qian Duoduo, waved his hand.
Who was he? He should be an elder of Jin Buhuan. But Qian Duoduo searched through Jin Buhuan’s memories and couldn’t recall any elder treating Jin Buhuan—that is, himself—well.
So what kind of elder was he?
Qian Duoduo gave him a cold glance, stopping far away. “What can I do for you two?” From Jin Buhuan’s memories, he knew these two Jin Family members: the old one was named Jin Yonggu, with Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivation. The young one was named Jin Bubai, with Qi Condensation Level Six cultivation.
Jin Yonggu glared at Qian Duoduo, his face stern as he lightly reprimanded, “Bu Huan, are your wings hardened? You don’t even salute your Second Uncle? And you don’t greet your Seventh Brother either?”
Where did this Second Uncle and Seventh Brother come from? Qian Duoduo felt annoyed. “If you have something, say it quickly. The sect shop is busy.”
Jin Yonggu gave Jin Bubai a look, then took two steps forward. “Bu Huan, you look well, and your cultivation has improved quite a bit. Second Uncle knows you are indeed the pride of our Jin Family—”
“Get straight to the point.” Qian Duoduo interrupted his long speech. What pride? He had been killed by them anyway.
“We heard that the sect shop’s business is good now. The shop’s employees have made a lot of money with the Chu Family, Zhu Family, and Shang Family. But you are the Jin Zhendian of the sect shop. Two Jin characters are written in one stroke.” Jin Yonggu lowered his voice. “This big money should be earned by our Jin Family…”
So they were here to take advantage. Qian Duoduo watched Jin Yonggu’s bright red lips flap incessantly, like a red-headed fly sucking blood.
“The shop is very busy, say what’s important.” Qian Duoduo controlled his disgust, speaking calmly and indifferently.
Jin Yonggu leaned close to Qian Duoduo’s ear. “We brought three carts of Jin Family materials for you to refine artifacts.”
Qian Duoduo smelled a foul odor and pulled his head away. “And then?”
“Then? The money earned, what should go to the sect goes to the sect, and the rest is ours, the Jin Family’s. You know, the Jin Family has many mouths to feed, and many places to spend money. You manage such a large shop, you won’t miss a few gold coins. Even if we gave them to you, you couldn’t keep them…”
This Jin Yonggu was not only foul-mouthed, but also thick-skinned and rotten-hearted.
The Jin Family had shown him, Qian Duoduo, no kindness whatsoever, yet now they wanted him to refine artifacts for them for free, not giving him a single gold coin. They were treating him like an idiot.
“Tianqi, come here.” Qian Duoduo called out. “These two, please entertain them. They want to sell materials; please accept them according to the rules.”
Chu Tianqi ran over, his eyes darting back and forth. Zhu Junliang whispered a few words in his ear. Chu Tianqi nodded and began, “This shop is fair to all, prices are reasonable…” These Family disciples were never lacking in their ability to read situations. They had already thoroughly investigated Jin Buhuan’s story.
Qian Duoduo ignored Jin Yonggu and Jin Bubai’s greetings, retreated into the courtyard, and through the door, heard Chu Tianqi, regardless of their persistent coaxing, accept their materials at market price.
He handled it perfectly! This Chu Tianqi was extremely intelligent and efficient. If he had given those two Jin Family members even one extra gold coin, Qian Duoduo himself would have been angry.
Qian Duoduo truly admired these Jin Family members; for money, they dared to stick their warm faces to a cold backside.
However, Qian Duoduo still underestimated their shamelessness. The Jin Family sent Fifth Uncle and Ninth Brother another time, and then Great Uncle and Third Sister another time, all to pull on Family ties with Qian Duoduo, the Jin Zhendian.
Qian Duoduo simply didn’t show his face. He didn’t want to waste his emotions on these people.
Moreover, the commercial war was becoming more intense, and more Magic Treasures were needed every day. The fire in his cauldron hadn’t extinguished these past few days.
…
“Oh, this tent has been improved again.” One day, as Qian Duoduo was placing a newly refined Magic Treasure in the shop, Master Wang Shuhuo entered.
He crawled into the turtle shell tent and experienced the new dream function Qian Duoduo had added.
After entering the tent, he brought up an old suggestion again, “Still don’t want to test for a second-grade Artifact Refiner?”
Seeing Qian Duoduo shake his head again, Master Wang smiled. “Have you ever thought, if you could refine artisan artifacts but only sell them at the price of Mortal Weapons, how could Ba Ling Sect and Shengling Sect possibly defeat you?”
Qian Duoduo was immediately stunned. This new angle from the Master was reasonable!
Lowering prices was not as good as lowering grades. Lowering prices, all three sect shops could do. But lowering grades, this kind of dimensionality reduction attack, only Qian Duoduo could do.
He patted the tent. “For example, this tent, refined by a first-grade Artifact Refiner, would be hard to sell for over a thousand, no matter how expensive. But if it were an artisan artifact by a second-grade Artifact Refiner, even at its lowest, it would start at a thousand.”
“That’s right. If you had said so earlier, I would have tested for second-grade long ago. Crushing Ba Ling Sect and Shengling Sect would make me very comfortable,” Qian Duoduo thought to himself.
“Furthermore, this new dream function you added still has some flaws. Do you know where the problem lies?”
As soon as Master Wang finished speaking, Qian Duoduo had already run to the tent’s edge. “Master, please enlighten me.”
“Currently, your materials and Artifact Refining techniques are sufficient, but your Magic Treasure is not. If you learn more Magic Treasures for artisan artifacts and Dan artifacts, you’ll know where the problem is without me telling you.”
“Please, Master, tell me clearly how to improve the grade of this tent.”
Wang Shuhuo thought for a moment. “If you apply a layer of Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia essence to the inner layer of the tent, then this tent can reach the grade of a Dan artifact.”
Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia? Qian Duoduo’s heart, unfilially, thumped wildly several times. “Isn’t this precisely the last spiritual plant I’m missing? With it, the Five Yin Soul Returning Pill can be refined.”
Qian Duoduo wanted to ask where to find Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia, but what came out was, “How much would that tent sell for then?”
“One hundred thousand.”
Qian Duoduo wanted to say that he would pay a million to buy Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia from him.
However, he couldn’t say that. Saying it would expose his desire to buy Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia.
“I want to take the exam, I want to upgrade the tent to a Dan artifact.” Qian Duoduo looked steadily at Wang Shuhuo, expressing his resolve.
Wang Shuhuo put an arm around Qian Duoduo’s shoulder. “Then let’s go.”
Just as they were about to enter the Refining Association, Qian Duoduo stopped. “Oh, right. I still don’t have the Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia that Master mentioned. I’ll go look for it first—”
If the Master beside him didn’t have Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia, Qian Duoduo decided not to take the exam. Since he could mention this spiritual plant, he definitely knew where to find it.
His goal in taking the exam was to find it and obtain it!
“If you pass the third-grade exam, I’ll help you get a few stalks.” Wang Shuhuo used force on his hand, pushing Qian Duoduo into the association.
Qian Duoduo was overjoyed, but he deliberately dug his heels in, not moving forward. “That stuff is quite expensive; how can I let Master incur such an expense?”
The kind Master patted Qian Duoduo a few times. “You are a talent, and we must value talents. Besides, while this Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia is a rarity in Kongfang City, it’s quite common in Wuzhu City.”
“Where is Wuzhu City?”
“Kongfang City is the core of the Lower Road. And Wuzhu City is the core of the Middle Road,” Master Wang said with rare seriousness.
“Middle Road? Is there a Refining Association there?”
“Yes. That’s a branch association.”
“Branch association? Not the main association?”
“Main association?” Master Wang smiled. “The main association is in Facai City on the Upper Road.”
Qian Duoduo’s feet truly stopped. He looked up at the tall tower of the Refining Association, as if several more sections had grown on top. Lower Road, Middle Road, Upper Road… what was beyond the Upper Road?
“Don’t think so much; that’s still far from you. First, take the exam.” Master Wang gave a gentle push, and Qian Duoduo entered the tower.
Qian Duoduo shook his head, composing himself. The most important thing right now was to get his hands on the Black Velvet Soft Purple Artemisia.
