Cooperation and Talent [Precise Control] (Requesting Follows Monthly Tickets Recommendation Tickets)

Master Lu was somewhat surprised to hear that Zhou Ling could draw engravings. Seeing Zhou Ling so confident now, he no longer looked down on him as he had before.

"Can you really draw engravings?"

"Yes, though I can only make First-order Low-grade Engravings. Ones with a Five Elements Attribute and existing engravings would be best."

Zhou Ling replied.

Master Lu thought for a moment. "Just so happens, I have a defective Fire-Repelling Bead on hand. Take a look and see where the problem lies."

Though he was still half-convinced and half-doubtful, there was currently no Inscription Master at the workshop anyway. Letting Zhou Ling try would cost him nothing.

Zhou Ling nodded with feigned maturity.

Master Lu then led Zhou Ling to the shade beneath the large locust tree on the eastern side of the courtyard.

Zhou Ling took off his Medicine Basket and set it on the ground.

Master Lu took a round, elegant Azure Jade Bead from his Storage Pouch and handed it to Zhou Ling. "This is a Fire-Repelling Bead."

"It's a Magic Artifact commissioned from us by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Take a look and see what's wrong with it."

Zhou Ling reached out and accepted the bead. It was about half the size of an egg.

It felt smooth and warm in his hand, with faint threads of coolness seeping into his palm.

Zhou Ling gently turned the bead and spotted the engraved inscription on its back. The engraving was pale blue.

Against the azure jade, it stood out all the more clearly.

Yet the Inscription Master who had drawn it had been ingenious, carving a Lotus Pattern around the engraving.

The engraving blended into the pattern, making the bead appear beautiful.

Zhou Ling immediately examined the engraving closely.

[You have observed the Fire Repelling Engraving. Basic Insight +1, Fire Repelling Engraving Proficiency +1]

[You are analyzing the Fire Repelling Engraving. Basic Analysis +1, Fire Repelling Engraving Proficiency +1]

"This is a Fire Repelling Engraving!" Zhou Ling said.

"Correct." Master Lu nodded. Seeing Zhou Ling identify the engraving at a glance, he figured the boy had some real skill after all, and his tone became several degrees more courteous. "Little brother, have you found where the problem lies?"

Holding the bead in his palm, Zhou Ling walked into the sunlight.

He continued to inspect it closely.

Under the sun's rays, the bead bloomed with a crystal-clear glow like lake water, and the engraving became even more distinct.

Though the Fire Repelling Engraving was small and exquisite, it consisted of four inscription lines. It was by no means easy to draw.

[You are analyzing the Fire Repelling Engraving. Basic Analysis +1, Fire Repelling Engraving Proficiency +1]

Though he could not make heads or tails of it for the moment, once he activated [Basic Analysis], the answer quickly came to him.

Before long, he returned to the shade and pointed at the engraving on the bead as he said to Master Lu, "The inscription lines of this Fire Repelling Engraving were not carved at the same time, resulting in minute differences between them. Spiritual power cannot be conducted through it, so the engraving is useless."

Seeing Zhou Ling lay it out so clearly, Master Lu could not help nodding. Smiling, he said, "I wonder, little brother, can you repair it?"

The materials for this Fire-Repelling Bead were far from cheap. If it were scrapped just like that, he truly could not bear it.

Zhou Ling weighed the Fire-Repelling Bead in his hand and nodded. "I can repair this Fire Repelling Engraving. But since it is carved onto the bead, every stroke must be extraordinarily precise, and it consumes a great deal of spiritual power."

"One slight mistake, and the result will be just like this!"

"So the repair will probably take around ten days."

"Ten days is no problem, but don't damage it. This azure jade is very expensive." Master Lu considered it before replying.

"Ordinarily, for someone to draw engravings for our workshop, an Inscription Master needs to provide a guarantor. But since Old Man Zhao introduced you, and I trust him, we can waive the guarantee."

"However, when taking our artifacts, you must provide a deposit. That cannot be waived!"

The reason he had agreed to Zhou Ling so readily was, on one hand, that the workshop had been without an Inscription Master for some time, and quite a few artifacts had piled up waiting to be engraved.

The other reason was Old Man Zhao's introduction. There were not many people around here who knew that Old Man Zhao was called Zhao Yixi.

And then there was Zhou Ling's attire, coupled with the faint medicinal fragrance wafting from the Medicine Basket. Clearly, Zhou Ling was merely the child of an Herb Seeker from around these parts.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling froze for a moment. Old Man Zhao had not told him any of this before he came.

His eyes shifted as he asked, "How much deposit do I need to pay?"

"And once this Fire-Repelling Bead is repaired, how many Spirit Stones can I earn?"

Master Lu smiled. He found himself rather fond of Zhou Ling—at such a young age, the boy already knew how to earn Spirit Stones.

He might truly have a chance of becoming an Artifact Refiner in the future, making him worth befriending.

Of course, even if he did not succeed, it would still count as forging a good connection.

After all, he was studying inscriptions. Perhaps there would be opportunities to work together later.

With that thought, he readily said, "The deposit will be one Low-grade Spirit Stone. Also, this Fire-Repelling Bead can sell for four Spirit Stones. If you can repair it, I'll give you two."

"And from now on, we'll be partners. Whenever the workshop's tools need inscription patterns drawn, you'll be my first choice!"

"Two Spirit Stones? Deal!" Zhou Ling's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed.

The Fire Repelling Engraving was also a commonly used engraving, and the Five Elements Basic Engraving happened to contain records of it.

At his current level, he would be able to master it within a few days.

It was just that repairing it on a bead required more precise control over spiritual power.

He then took a Spirit Stone from his Spirit Stone Pouch and handed it to Master Lu, while also telling him his name.

Seeing Zhou Ling sling the Medicine Basket onto his back, Master Lu gave him another reminder. "Kid Ling, make sure you repair it within ten days. Otherwise, you won't get this deposit back."

Zhou Ling nodded confidently, then cupped his hands to Master Lu in farewell.

His mature manner made Master Lu smile in amusement.

After leaving the workshop, Zhou Ling noticed a shop selling Spirit Wine as he walked down West Cloud Street.

He immediately went inside and spent thirty Broken Spirit to buy a jar of fine Spirit Wine.

The Spirit Wine his father usually drank was ordinary stuff, brewed from spirit rice mixed with spirit grain. A jar cost only three or four Broken Spirit.

The jar in his hands had been brewed from pure spirit rice. Not only was it rich in spiritual energy, but its flavor was also far mellower.

Before long, Zhou Ling returned home.

The summer heat was scorching. His back was soaked through, and his throat was parched. He grabbed the teapot from the table and gulped down several mouthfuls before finally feeling somewhat better.

He then took a towel to the well, drew some water, and washed his face.

Only then did he return to his room.

He took out the Five Elements Basic Engraving Jade Slip and began carefully studying the Fire Repelling Engraving.

The profit from repairing a single inscription pattern for two Low-grade Spirit Stones was absolutely considerable.

As for Old Man Zhao's Cauldron, that was an extremely rare case.

After all, only Alchemists used Cauldrons, so their prices and profits were naturally higher.

But the workshop was different.

As long as he could repair this Fire-Repelling Bead, it would become a long-term partnership.

That would earn him far more than working with Old Man Zhao.

Zhou Ling quickly found the Fire Repelling Engraving.

The diagram of the Fire Repelling Engraving contained relevant annotations: how fire-element inscription patterns could be made consistent, how the patterns should be linked together, and so on.

[Growth Talent, Precise Control: Increases the efficiency of using spiritual energy and other items, achieving optimal results. Requirement met: manipulate spiritual energy ten times.]

At that moment, a prompt appeared on the panel.

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