Steering Public Opinion

"The time is up, and I brought the money. Have the magic artifacts I ordered from Treasure Seeking Pavilion been forged?" Chou Wenxiu leaned against the doorway and spoke brazenly.

Song Changqian's eyes nearly spat fire. Right now, she truly wanted to slaughter that black bastard.

"Young man, do not be impatient. If we agreed on ten days, then it will be ten days. Treasure Seeking Pavilion naturally keeps its word." Song Luyuan sat on a tall stool behind the counter, leisurely sipping tea as he responded blandly.

An old hand was different indeed. Even while caught in an absolute headwind, he remained as steady as an old dog.

"Hmph, putting on an act." From the bottom of his heart, Chou Wenxiu did not believe Treasure Seeking Pavilion could finish within ten days. He had come today to stomp on Treasure Seeking Pavilion's face.

"Heh, the Song Clan really is a tiger fallen to the plains, bullied by dogs. Back when Patriarch Song Yungui was still around, who in Ling Province had not been meekly obedient?

Just over a decade ago, the Song Clan had more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators, unmatched throughout Ling Province. What Earth Fire Sect, what Chou Clan—who would have dared hop around like this?" An elderly cultivator in the crowd said with a sigh.

The tall cultivator beside him sneered upon hearing this. "By your logic, Earth Fire Sect once had a Purple Mansion patriarch as well. It merely declined afterward.

The Song Clan is becoming more and more incapable. Even its most prized Artifact Forging Technique has been surpassed by Earth Fire Sect. If you ask me, Ling Province will belong to Earth Fire Sect in the future."

"They have not even competed yet. How do you know Treasure Seeking Pavilion has lost? Were you hired by Earth Fire Sect to be a plant?" Some cultivators around them immediately questioned him.

Both the Song Clan and Earth Fire Sect specialized in artifact forging. They had torn at each other plenty over market share these past years, but the Song Clan had never lost.

Thus, the Vast Majority present still had faith in the Song Clan. The tall cultivator's words naturally made them suspicious.

The tall cultivator Smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. "You were not there that day, so it is normal that you Did Not Know. When Chou Wenxiu issued the challenge, the faces of those Song Clan people turned white with fright.

Would they have worn such expressions if they could do it? And besides, the one who accepted the challenge was a young man who did not even look twenty. At such an age, it was uncertain whether his Artifact Forging Technique had even crossed the threshold. If they can win, I will pry up the floor tiles and eat them today."

Seeing how convincingly he spoke, the people who had originally trusted the Song Clan gradually began to waver. Had an Artifact Forging Master accepted the challenge, they would not have had the slightest doubt.

Yet the one who accepted it was a young man. Artifact forging was not child's play. At that age, it was already rare to forge a First-Tier High-Grade magic artifact, let alone inscribe three arrays with different properties. How is this possible?

Listening to the murmurs in the crowd, the Corner of the Mouth of Chou Wenxiu nearly split all the way to his ears. Just as he had expected, no one believed Song Changsheng could do it.

Song Luyuan remained as steady as Mount Tai, but Song Changqian could not help complaining in a low voice, "It is all that fellow's fault. Is this not putting the Lineage over a fire?"

"Who Is It that caused all this?" Song Luyuan Glanced at Him and said blandly.

"Of course it was..." Song Changqian had been about to say Song Changsheng, but when she saw her father's expression, she immediately swallowed the words back down.

Just as public opinion had tipped completely to one side, Song Changsheng finally completed his masterpiece after working overtime. Just as he had said, three properties were no great difficulty for him.

But his purpose This Time was not merely to prove that the Song Clan could do it. He also intended to slap Earth Fire Sect and its allies across the face.

So This Time, he would not merely win. He would win beautifully, and he would make Earth Fire Sect's prestige sweep the ground.

"Shopkeeper Song, your Treasure Seeking Pavilion's rule is threefold compensation for an unfulfilled order. We have already waited two hours. I think you should simply compensate me with fifteen hundred Spirit Stones, so So Many fellow cultivators do not waste their time beneath this blazing sun."

Chou Wenxiu looked at Song Luyuan with a sincere expression, as though he were considering matters for him.

"Yeah, can you even do it?"

"What a waste of time. I think everyone should just disperse."

People in the crowd immediately began jeering, and the pressure on Song Luyuan greatly increased.

Right In this moment, Song Changsheng came down from the Second Floor and said, "I was wondering why I could vaguely hear a vicious dog yapping wildly in the Artifact Forging Room. So Fellow Cultivator Chou had come calling. You became impatient so quickly?"

Chou Wenxiu's expression instantly darkened. Was this not calling him a dog?

He stared at Song Changsheng and demanded, "Sharp-tongued brat, where is the magic artifact I ordered?"

Yet Song Changsheng seemed not to hear him. He walked To Oneself before Song Luyuan, cupped his hands, and said, "Nephew greets Clan Uncle. Clan Uncle was absent when I came that day, so Nephew made the decision on his own. I hope Clan Uncle will not blame me."

"Hahaha, no matter, no matter. You are the Artifact Forging Master sent by the Lineage, so you may make the decision." Seeing Song Changsheng step forward, Song Luyuan's heart, which had been bobbing seven up and eight down, immediately settled, and he said with a laugh.

Seeing the two exchange pleasantries as though no one else existed, Chou Wenxiu's lungs were about to explode from rage. He Roared, "Brat, stop acting! If you cannot produce the magic artifact, you must compensate me threefold!"

Only then did Song Changsheng slowly look at him. "Fellow Cultivator Chou, why the rush? Merely three properties—what are they worth to Treasure Seeking Pavilion? I finished forging it long ago.

However, before handing it over, I would like to ask Fellow Cultivator Chou a question. How many days did that Artifact Forging Master from Earth Fire Sect take to forge that magic artifact?"

Chou Wenxiu simply did not believe Song Changsheng had succeeded, and he immediately boasted, "About ten days or so."

"Hahaha, good. Since So Many fellow cultivators are present today, I will ask everyone to appraise this Treasure Pearl and see what you think."

Song Changsheng immediately took a dark blue Treasure Pearl from In His Arms. With a slight activation, the three arrays inscribed within the Treasure Pearl immediately Appeared.

Chou Wenxiu's expression changed drastically in an instant, and waves of commotion broke out among the crowd.

"Water Origin Array, Ice Spike Array, Return to Origin Array. This magic artifact indeed possesses defense, offense, and recovery—the three properties at once. This young man from the Song Clan is remarkable indeed."

An Array Master in the crowd recognized the three arrays and named their corresponding abilities, immediately stirring up a tremendous uproar among the crowd.

"He really forged it within ten days?"

"The Song Clan's foundation truly runs deep. A young man actually possesses such ability."

After the Treasure Pearl made its appearance, the tide of public opinion once again tipped completely to one side—only this time, it tipped toward the Song Clan.

"Fellow Cultivator Chou, pay the remaining balance. Three hundred Spirit Stones." Song Changsheng held the Treasure Pearl before Chou Wenxiu's eyes and spoke blandly.

"You... You definitely did not forge this. Ten days? That is impossible!" Chou Wenxiu stared fixedly at Song Changsheng and roared.

"Why is it impossible? Did Fellow Cultivator Chou not say Earth Fire Sect also took ten days?" Song Changsheng said teasingly.

"Then that definitely was not forged by you either! Who knows whether it was the work of some Second-Tier master from your Song Clan?" Chou Wenxiu immediately realized he had misspoken, but he still stubbornly craned his neck.

Song Changsheng suddenly laughed. Looking at everyone outside the door, he said, "Everyone, this Fellow Cultivator Chou speaks most strangely. When he brought out his Treasure Pearl, we never questioned him. Yet now he turns around and questions us. Truly... tsk, tsk, tsk."