Chapter 27: Shifting Public Opinion
"The time's up, and I've brought the money. Gentlemen of the Seeking Treasure Pavilion, is the magical tool I ordered ready yet?" Qiu Wenxiu leaned casually against the door and spoke in an arrogant tone.
Song Changqian's eyes were practically shooting fire. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to kill this damn bastard.
"Young man, no need to be so impatient. We agreed on ten days, and ten days it shall be. Our Seeking Treasure Pavilion always keeps our word," Song Luyuan replied coolly as he sat on the high stool behind the counter, sipping his tea leisurely.
Old foxes are different indeed, even in an absolutely disadvantageous situation, he remained as steady as an old dog.
"Hmph, putting on airs." Qiu Wenxiu didn’t believe for a second that the Seeking Treasure Pavilion could finish in ten days. He was here today to stomp on their reputation.
"Heh, the Song Clan really has fallen from grace. Back in the day, when Patriarch Song Yun’gui was around, who in Ling Province didn’t treat them with deference?
Take a decade ago, there were over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators in their clan, standing unmatched across Ling Province. What were Earthfire Sect or the Qiu Clan back then? They wouldn’t have dared make a move." An older cultivator in the crowd sighed with emotion.
The tall cultivator beside him snorted and said, "Well, by your logic, Earthfire Sect once had a Purple Mansion ancestor too. That didn’t stop them from declining later.
The Song Clan's just getting worse. Even their once-vaunted artifact forging skills have been surpassed by Earthfire Sect. If you ask me, the future of Ling Province belongs to Earthfire Sect ."
“They haven’t even compared results yet, and you’re already declaring the Seeking Treasure Pavilion lost? You a shill for Earthfire Sect or what?” someone nearby immediately questioned.
Both the Song Clan and Earthfire Sect were known for forging artifacts, and over the years, they'd fiercely competed for market share but the Song Clan had never lost.
That’s why the majority of onlookers still had faith in the Song Clan. The tall cultivator’s words naturally raised suspicion and doubt.
The tall cultivator gave a mysterious smile, lowered his voice, and said, “You guys weren’t there that day, so of course you don’t know. When Qiu Wenxiu issued the challenge, a few of the Song Clan folks went pale on the spot.
Would they have looked like that if they were confident? Plus, the one who accepted the challenge was some young guy, didn’t even look twenty. At that age, who knows if he’s even touched the basics of artifact forging?
If they actually win, I’ll eat a floor tile right here.”
The way he spoke with such certainty caused even those originally confident in the Song Clan to begin wavering. If it had been a seasoned artifact master who accepted the challenge, no one would doubt them.
But a young man? Forging isn't child's play. Even crafting a first-rank superior-grade magical tool at that age was rare, let alone embedding three different attribute formations. How could that be possible?
As whispers began to spread through the crowd, Qiu Wenxiu could hardly contain his grin, it was stretching nearly to his ears. Just as he expected, no one believed Song Changsheng had a chance.
Song Luyuan remained rock-solid as ever, but Song Changqian couldn’t hold back her quiet complaint: "It’s all that guy’s fault, he’s put the whole clan over the fire."
"And who exactly brought this upon us?" Song Luyuan gave her a glance and said calmly.
"Of course it’s-" Song Changqian was just about to say Song Changsheng, but upon seeing her father’s expression, she swallowed the words back down.
Just as public opinion had turned overwhelmingly negative, Song Changsheng finally finished his masterpiece after working overtime. As he had said before, the three traits were not difficult for him.
But this time, his goal wasn’t merely to prove the Song Clan’s capabilities, he wanted to slap Earthfire Sect and its allies square across the face.
So he not only had to win, he had to win beautifully, to completely ruin Earthfire Sect’s prestige.
"Shopkeeper Song, your Seeking Treasure Pavilion’s rules say failure to complete an order means triple compensation. It’s already been two hours, I think you should just give me the 1,500 spirit stones now. No need to waste everyone’s time under this scorching sun."
Qiu Wenxiu looked at Song Luyuan with a sincere face, as though he were considering it for his sake.
"Yeah, are you going to deliver or not?"
"This is such a waste of time. I say we all just leave already."
The crowd started to get rowdy, and the pressure on Song Luyuan increased sharply.
At that moment, Song Changsheng descended from the second floor and said, “So that’s the barking I kept hearing from the forging chamber. Turns out it was Fellow Daoist Qiu at the door. You couldn’t wait, huh?”
Qiu Wenxiu’s face turned dark instantly, wasn’t that basically calling him a dog?
He stared directly at Song Changsheng and demanded, “You sharp-tongued brat, where’s the magical tool I ordered?”
But Song Changsheng acted as if he hadn’t heard him. He walked over to Song Luyuan, cupped his fists, and said, “Nephew greets the Uncle. When I arrived that day, you weren’t present, so I acted on my own initiative. I hope you won’t mind.”
“Hahaha, no need for such formality. You’re the artifact master our clan sent, you make the decisions,” Song Luyuan replied with a hearty laugh, his anxiety vanishing at once.
Seeing the two of them chatting like no one else was around, Qiu Wenxiu was about to explode with rage. He shouted, “Enough acting, kid! If you can’t produce the artifact, you owe me triple compensation!”
Only then did Song Changsheng lazily turn to him and say, “Fellow Daoist Qiu, no need to be so anxious. A mere three attributes is nothing to our Seeking Treasure Pavilion. I finished forging it long ago.
However, before we make the exchange, I have a question. That artifact master from Earthfire Sect, how long did he take to forge his item?”
Qiu Wenxiu didn’t believe for a second that Song Changsheng had succeeded, so he bragged, “About ten days, give or take.”
“Hahaha, good. So many fellow Daoists are present today, why not help me take a look at this treasure of mine?”
Song Changsheng then pulled out a dark blue pearl from his robes. As he lightly activated it, three formation arrays etched inside immediately became visible.
Qiu Wenxiu’s expression changed drastically, and the crowd erupted in commotion.
“Water Origin Array, Ice Spike Array, Essence Return Array, this magical tool indeed possesses defensive, offensive, and restorative properties. This young man from the Song Clan is truly remarkable.”
A formation master in the crowd had recognized the arrays and named their respective functions, instantly stirring up a storm of chatter among the onlookers.
“He really forged it in just ten days?”
“The Song Clan’s foundation truly runs deep. For someone so young to have this level of skill…”
With the pearl unveiled, the tide of public opinion shifted again but this time in the Song Clan’s favor.
“Fellow Daoist Qiu, time to pay the balance, three hundred spirit stones,” Song Changsheng said as he placed the pearl in front of Qiu Wenxiu.
“You… This can’t be your work! Ten days? That’s impossible!” Qiu Wenxiu roared, glaring at Song Changsheng.
“Why not? Didn’t you just say Earthfire Sect’s guy also took ten days?” Song Changsheng said mockingly.
“That must’ve been made by one of your second-rank masters! There’s no way you made it!” Qiu Wenxiu suddenly realized his blunder but still stubbornly stood his ground.
But Song Changsheng just burst out laughing and turned to the people outside. “Everyone, this Fellow Daoist Qiu sure speaks strangely. When he brought out his treasure, we never doubted him. Yet now he questions us? Tsk, tsk…”
(Chapter End)