Grandmaster Si Long
How could Wu Qi forget Myers, the bishop of the Spirit Hall in Gengxin City, a notorious villain of the Spirit Hall who is "etched in history"?
Feng Xiaotian hurriedly asked, "Waiter, is there any explanation for this?"
Seeing that no one was around, the Waiter leaned close to the group and whispered, "Those of us who do business in the city are all exploited by the Spirit Hall."
"Bishop Myers has established a series of taxation systems; if you want to do business, you will inevitably have to give him some benefits."
Gengxin City is quite unique within the Star Luo Empire. It is a gathering place for blacksmiths and is relatively close to the border of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Blacksmiths were not well-regarded on the continent, so no official was willing to serve as the city lord of this place. Over time, it effectively became Autonomous Region, jointly managed by the Spirit Hall and the blacksmiths in the city.
However, it was clear that the blacksmiths' abilities were limited, while Myers was a genuine Soul Saint. As a result, the governance of the city fell into the hands of the Spirit Hall.
In addition, Bibi Dong's lack of oversight of the lower-ranking bishops meant that people like Myers, who knew they had no chance of advancing further, would certainly try to make a fortune while in office and enjoy a life of luxury after retirement.
After the Waiter finished speaking, he left immediately, clearly worried that someone might have overheard him.
Feng Xiaotian looked at Wu Qi and joked, "It seems there are some parasites in your Spirit Hall. You and Chang Kong are both Elder of the Spirit Hall, aren't you going to do anything about it?"
"Xiaotian, have you ever thought about who gets the most money in the city?" The speaker was Qiangu Changkong.
He's not stupid; when he gets serious, he can naturally see the crux of the problem.
Needless to say, as a city of blacksmiths, the Blacksmiths' Association must be the wealthiest group.
Therefore, Myers, in order to make money, will definitely try to win over the blacksmiths. Solving the Blacksmiths' Association's problems at this time will surely earn him a lot of goodwill.
Wu Qi pondered for a moment and said, "We are originally from the Spirit Hall. If we do this too deliberately, it will become a case of the big fish eating the small fish, which will only make people resentful."
With that, he downed the tea in his cup, stood up, and said, "Let's go check out the Blacksmiths' Association."
The Blacksmiths' Association was not only a place for blacksmiths to be tested, but also included merchants who sold metals and blacksmiths who sold finished forgings.
Upon entering, they saw that Wu Qi and his entourage were dressed in fine clothes, and someone immediately came to greet them.
"What would you like to order? I'm your Guide here; you can call me Xiao Liu."
The first floor is the association's lobby, which has a large flow of people and is somewhat noisy. In addition, most of the items sold here are ordinary goods.
Wu Qi said, "Take us to the second floor."
Xiao Liu smiled inwardly.
A wealthy young master like Wu Qi can easily spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coin. Once he goes to the second floor, there are even more places to spend money, and the more commission he can get.
The second floor, compared to the first floor, features significantly more luxurious stalls, and with less foot traffic, it's also much quieter.
Xiao Liu enthusiastically introduced the works of the Grandmaster blacksmiths here to everyone.
"I wonder if there's any metal like Deep Sea Sinking Silver?" Wu Qi asked.
Among rare metals, those Sinking Silver are the hardest and also the most valuable.
Xiao Liu paused for a moment, then said, "Gentlemen, if I may ask, what kind of object are you seeking to have crafted? Metals like Sinking Silver are extremely hard; ordinary Grandmaster blacksmiths simply cannot forge them. This requires the assistance of Master Blacksmith."
"In that case, the cost will be relatively high."
Wu Qi here was not really to buy metal, but to use this opportunity to lure out a master blacksmith and then find a way to connect with Lou Gao.
In response to Xiao Liu's explanation, he chuckled and said, "Money is no problem, just lead the way."
Xiao Liu understood and led everyone to the largest stall on the second floor.
Wu Qi didn't bring Ning Rongrong with him on this trip, nor did he intend to take advantage of any opportunities.
The owner of this stall is clearly a very capable businessman, as he has a wide variety of metals available.
However, upon seeing customers, the owner kept sighing and complaining, not at all like someone who wanted to run a business.
"Hey customers, let me know what you're interested in. This might be my last time setting up a stall here this month. I can give you a 10% discount, I just want to clear out my inventory as soon as possible."
Xiao Liu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.
The Spirit Hall exploited the Blacksmiths' Association too ruthlessly, and these merchants were also among those being exploited.
If a large portion of the money you earn has to be paid as protection money, who would have the mind to do business?
Wu Qi smiled faintly, not dwelling on the matter. "I need a large quantity of Sinking Silver- like metals. Does the boss have any in stock?"
The more you sell, the more you lose, so the owner isn't very enthusiastic about it. "There is some loss, but the prices are quite high. Don't bother asking unless you're really serious about buying."
Qiangu Changkong couldn't help but say, "Hey, you boss, is this how you do business?"
Wu Qi didn't hesitate. He took out a red Gold Spirit Card from his Soul Tool to demonstrate his strength.
"Red Card!!!" The stall owner and Xiao Liu immediately looked surprised and suspicious.
The holder of a red Gold Spirit Card must be the leader of a powerful force or a strong figure on the continent.
Gengxin City has a very low status in the Spirit Master world. Even with Divine Craftsman like Lou Gao, few powerful individuals holding Red Card come here.
Even in Lou Gao, I've rarely seen Red Card, let alone these business people.
The commotion caught the attention of a man.
The man approached Wu Qi and greeted him, "Sir, is there anything I can do for you?"
The man had muscular arms, broad hands, and calluses on the base of his thumbs—clearly a blacksmith.
Xiao Liu said respectfully, "Grandmaster Si Long, these are our newly arrived guests."
Wu Qi never expected that simply revealing his red Gold Spirit Card would be enough to lure out Lou Gao's Personal Disciple.
Si Long's purpose in coming here was not only to take advantage of the commission for forging the items, but also to use his status as Red Card holder to help the Blacksmiths' Association out of its predicament.
Having demonstrated their wealth and with Grandmaster Si Long as their witness, the stall owner became much more enthusiastic and brought out his inventory of Sinking Silver.
"These are ordinary Sinking Silver, these are Deep Sea Sinking Silver with higher density and hardness, and these are the Deep Sea Sinking Silver Silver Matrix. Guest, how much do you need?"
"Pack them all up!" Wu Qi said generously.
Si Long, however, was somewhat puzzled. "Sir, if I may be frank, even forging so much Sinking Silver would take nearly half a year. Among them, the Deep Sea Sinking Silver Silver Matrix would also take a very long time to forge, even if you wanted to."
"What do you need to craft, and why do you require so many materials?"
The price of the Deep Sea Sinking Silver Silver Matrix is not much different from that of ordinary Deep Sea Sinking Silver. After all, it is very difficult to forge, and blacksmiths without the skills are helpless to do it, so no one is willing to buy it.
Wu Qi paid the money, accepted the metal using his Soul Tool, and then said, "Grandmaster Si Long, are you going to discuss business here?"
P. S.: Damn, I forgot to post it yesterday.