Mutual Benefit

Ye Tong took out the completed design drawing and handed it over, saying, "I need to have a prosthetic limb made. This is the design. All the parts for the prosthetic limb have precise digital markings. After you look it over, I have a few questions. First, can this prosthetic limb be made? Second, if it can, how long will it take? Third, how much silver will it cost?"

Master Tielang chuckled wryly. He had lived in seclusion in Cold Mountain City for decades. Although his reputation here was not well-known, decades ago, the entire Sky Net Empire knew the name of Artisan God Tielang.

Now, being questioned by this seemingly frail young man, he felt a mix of amusement and disbelief.

Master Tielang took the blueprint and his gaze swept over it. His expression immediately turned astonished, and then his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. By the end, his eyes began to gleam, and his body trembled slightly, his hands gripping the blueprint with exceptional force.

After a long while, Master Tielang slowly looked up, gazing at Ye Tong and asking, "Who drew this blueprint? Who designed this prosthetic limb?"

"I did!"

Ye Tong replied without hesitation.

Master Tielang's expression was one of shock. He never expected Ye Tong to give such an answer. After scrutinizing Ye Tong, he took a step back, cupped his fists, and said, "May I know your esteemed surname and given name, young sir? Such an exquisite and peerless design, crafted with divine skill and unique ingenuity, is truly a model for us all. Tielang is honored."

Ye Tong felt a bit guilty upon hearing this. While he had drawn the design, he had merely imitated the form of prosthetics from Earth, essentially creating a pirated product.

"Master, there's no need for such formality. My name is Ye Tong, and you haven't answered my questions yet."

Tielang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Does it require special materials? Do you want an ordinary prosthetic limb, or the best prosthetic limb I can forge?"

Ye Tong inquired, "How long will it take? How much silver will it cost?"

Tielang said seriously, "If I were to forge an ordinary prosthetic limb, two days would be sufficient, costing one hundred taels of Blue Silver. If I were to forge the best prosthetic limb, it would take half a month, and I would charge not a single coin."

Ye Tong stated, "I need the best prosthetic limb, but it must be completed within ten days. I will pay the price."

Ten days?

Tielang pondered for a moment and then happily nodded, saying, "No problem. Come back here after ten days, and I guarantee I'll forge something that will satisfy you. However, I have a humble request. If you agree, not only will I not charge for forging this prosthetic limb, but I am willing to pay you an additional ten thousand taels of Blue Silver."

Ye Tong asked thoughtfully, "You want to mass-produce this type of prosthetic limb and sell it in shops?"

Tielang laughed heartily, "Young Master Ye is exceptionally intelligent. That is precisely my intention."

Ye Tong nodded, "No problem. This transaction is mutually beneficial, and we can proceed."

Tielang turned to Daqiang and said, "Go to the accounting room and get ten thousand taels of Blue Silver in bank notes and give them to Young Master Ye."

Daqiang never dreamed that a customer seeking custom forging would end up making a deal with his master. Although his master seemed very pleased, and the other party said it was mutually beneficial, he didn't understand it at all. He wanted to say something, but seeing his master's satisfied smile, he swallowed his words.

A moment later, Daqiang returned with a bank note for ten thousand taels and handed it to Ye Tong.

"Farewell!"

Ye Tong cupped his fists and turned to leave.

In the courtyard, the young shop assistant watched the spot where Ye Tong's back disappeared and suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something, "I remember now! He said his name was Ye Tong. Could it be Ye Tong from the Precious Medicine Workshop?"

Daqiang asked confusedly, "Who is Ye Tong from the Precious Medicine Workshop?"

The young shop assistant said, "Big Brother Daqiang, don't you know yet? It's all over the city now. The Tong family in Cold Mountain City has publicly announced that Ye Tong from the Precious Medicine Workshop is their friend. Anyone who dares to oppose Ye Tong is opposing the Tong family and will face their fierce retaliation. Now, people in the city are all asking who this Ye Tong from the Precious Medicine Workshop really is!"

"Oh!"

Daqiang nodded indifferently.

Tielang showed a surprised expression, his gaze shifting back to where Ye Tong had disappeared, lost in thought.

There wasn't much to do at the Precious Medicine Workshop. Since the newly built houses were all very clean after the craftsmen finished their work, Ye Tong didn't want to inquire further about how the Medicine Slaves were training Ye Dingding. He planned to temporarily leave Cold Mountain City after completing his last two tasks.

Upon his return, he saw the completely transformed Crippled Old Woman, still leaning on that charred stick, standing in the courtyard and observing the scenery.

Ye Tong nodded at her and then disappeared into the newly constructed Alchemy Room. He had only used a quarter of the large amount of medicinal herbs he had purchased. Ye Tong decided to use up all the remaining herbs in the next ten days, refine a batch of pills, and take them to the county city of Zifu County to sell.

After all, the prices in the county city were very high, and the price of pills should be significantly higher than in Cold Mountain City.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight rose from the east, Tong Siyuan arrived at the Precious Medicine Workshop with two Tong family experts. Upon learning that Ye Tong was refining pills in the Alchemy Room, he very considerately did not disturb him. After handing the fifty thousand taels bank notes to the Medicine Slave and exchanging a few pleasantries, he left directly.

The Medicine Slave felt a little dizzy holding the thick stack of bank notes.

Although the amount of money left behind by Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu before his disappearance was not much less, these bank notes had arrived too strangely. Yesterday, someone had come to cause trouble, and today the Tong family patriarch personally visited? And his words hinted at appeasement?

What earth-shattering thing had the Young Master done...

To make the Tong family's miser so generous?

Could it be...

Because of Mu Xiaochen?

No!

If it were because of Mu Xiaochen, the Tong family patriarch should have come much earlier. Why wait until now?

The Medicine Slave felt his brain wasn't working properly. Clutching the bank notes in a daze, he arrived at the Alchemy Room. Seeing Ye Tong concentrating on refining pills, he hesitated, and finally, he didn't disturb him, quietly retreating.

Time passed quickly.

The ten-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.

When Ye Tong walked out of the Alchemy Room, utterly exhausted, his face was pale, his spirit was weak, and he reeked of a foul odor. Seeing this, the Medicine Slave, though saying nothing, felt a pang of heartache.

Now.

With the family's conditions having improved so much, did the Young Master still need to push himself this hard?

Ye Tong took a bath and changed into clean clothes. When he reappeared before the Medicine Slave, his steps faltered, and he nearly collapsed. His lips had begun to turn purplish, dark circles had formed under his eyes, and his entire face had taken on a dark hue.

"Young Master!"

The Medicine Slave quickly supported Ye Tong.

Ye Tong gave a wry smile. "Just after the bath, the hot water caused my Blood Essence to change, leading to a resurgence of the poison. It seems I'll have to take another medicinal bath."

The Medicine Slave said, "Didn't you refine some poison liquid earlier? You could just take that directly. There's no need for a medicinal bath."

Ye Tong shook his head. "We're heading to the county city tomorrow. The refined poison liquid needs to be saved for when it's inconvenient later. Prepare it!"

The Medicine Slave's expression turned strange, and he muttered, "Young Master, why are you still thinking about going to the county city?"

Ye Tong replied, "To attend the auction and bid for the Blood Demon Worm!"

The Medicine Slave felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Young Master, you're not old, why are you being so muddled? From Cold Mountain City to the county city, even traveling day and night without rest, it takes at least twenty-five days. With only twenty days left until the auction begins, there's simply not enough time."

What?

Ye Tong's heart jolted. He had never been to the county city and had little contact with the outside world, so he naturally didn't know how long it took to travel from Cold Mountain City to the county city.

What to do?

He had already prepared the bank notes and gold notes. If he couldn't make it to the auction in time, wouldn't he miss out on the Blood Demon Worm?

No!

It was rare to encounter something as highly poisonous as the Blood Demon Worm. Missing this opportunity would not be good for him, especially since it concerned the preservation of his life in the future.

"Medicine Slave, is there absolutely no way?" Ye Tong asked.

The Medicine Slave hesitated for a moment. "It's not that there's no way at all. If we travel to the county city by Dragon Lion Eagle, we can reach it in just seven days."

Ye Tong stated decisively, "Then we'll take the Dragon Lion Eagle. Prepare yourself; we'll depart early tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

The Medicine Slave nodded, then suddenly remembered something. He took out a thick stack of bank notes and said, "Young Master, these are the bank notes the Tong Family head sent over a few days ago. I've counted them; there are fifty thousand taels worth of Blue Silver bank notes."

Fifty thousand taels?

Ye Tong nodded with satisfaction. He didn't take the stack of bank notes, but instead took out another thick stack and handed it to the Medicine Slave. "Here is one million taels of Blue Silver, in both bank notes and gold notes. Tomorrow, you'll go to the bank and exchange all the bank notes for gold notes."

"Hiss..."

The Medicine Slave gasped. One million taels of Blue Silver, plus fifty thousand taels of Blue Silver, a total of one million five hundred thousand taels of Blue Silver. What... what had the Young Master done? Even if the War Tiger Adventurer Team had paid the remaining balance, it wouldn't amount to this much!

Soon.

The Medicine Slave learned the origin of these bank notes and gold notes and was secretly astonished by the Tong Family's generosity.

"Young Master, it's time to... eat."

A timid voice came from not far from them. Ye Dingding, wearing an apron and nervously fiddling with the corner of her clothes, spoke. After ten days at the Precious Medicine Workshop, her previously lifeless demeanor had finally disappeared, and her eyes now held a spark of life.

Since she had been bought, although she had to clean, do laundry, cook, and learn to make medicinal meals from the Medicine Slave, she hadn't suffered any abuse, which had significantly calmed her fearful heart.

However!

She had rarely seen Ye Tong during these past days.

Therefore, she was still somewhat afraid of the young master of the Precious Medicine Workshop.

Ye Tong looked at Ye Dingding a few times and noticed that her complexion was much better, and she no longer looked as listless as before. He was secretly pleased and casually responded before walking towards the dining table.

A figure slowly approached.

It was the Crippled Old Woman, leaning on her black carbon stick.