Old Man Qin

The black-faced man on the other side shoved and pushed, shoving the old man quite a distance away. Judging by his fierce demeanor, he clearly meant business.

The old man landed hard on his backside, letting out cries of pain. The black-faced man, however, ignored him entirely and walked straight back into Fengxiang Jewelry Store.

The onlookers were merely watching the spectacle, yet none stepped forward to help. The poor old man could only groan on the ground.

Zhang He hesitated for a moment, but eventually walked over and carefully helped the old man to his feet.

"Thank you, young man." The old man wiped away his tears and offered a miserable smile, a sight that felt truly desolate.

"Old sir, what happened here?" Zhang He asked as he supported him. He noticed that the old man's hands were not only withered but ice-cold, clearly suffering from poor circulation, with his joints appearing somewhat swollen.

At a glance, Zhang He knew these were classic symptoms of rheumatism.

"Sigh, it's embarrassing for you to see this. I used to be a craftsman here, but after years of toil, my hands became crippled. Now that I'm old and have no way to earn a living, I wanted to come back and ask for a little money to get by," the old man said wretchedly.

"I heard earlier that the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown in the shop was crafted by you?" Zhang He couldn't help but ask. In the entire Fengxiang Jewelry Store, only the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown was worth a second glance from him. Everything else was dreadfully outdated in both craftsmanship and style.

"That's right." At the mention of this, the old man's face lit up, and he said proudly, "That Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown was indeed my handiwork."

After saying this, the old man's expression dimmed slightly. "It's a pity that my hands are ruined now; I can no longer craft such exquisite jewelry. Sigh." The old man let out a sigh, filled with deep regret.

Seeing this, Zhang He couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy. He understood the loneliness of this craftsman. He had spent his entire life creating jewelry, pouring his heart into his craft, only to be forced to abandon it due to his failing body. How could he not feel heartbroken?

However, Zhang He had already determined that the root of the old man's ailment was, in all likelihood, rheumatism, and he felt a measure of confidence in his heart.

"Old sir, are you saying that as long as your hands were healthy, you could still craft exquisite jewelry like the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown?" Zhang He smiled slightly, looking at the old man with gentle eyes.

The old man heard the implication in Zhang He's words. He hesitated, then nodded. "Of course. As long as my hands were as nimble as they once were, crafting the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown would be a simple matter. Young man, are you asking me to craft it for you? Sigh, that's impossible. My hands are ruined; I lack the strength to do it."

As he spoke, the old man shook his head helplessly. The decay of the body was a process no one could change. He would just have to find some light labor to earn a meal and then wait for the end.

Zhang He exhaled softly. He held the old man's hand and channeled a wisp of Rejuvenation True Qi, suddenly infusing it into the old man's body.

The old man's eyes widened, and he abruptly lowered his head, staring at his hands in shock. He actually felt a warmth enveloping his palms! The pain in his joints, under the influence of this warmth, began to fade, and a long-lost sense of relief returned.

"Old sir, how does it feel?" Zhang He smiled faintly and stopped.

The old man flexed his hands and discovered that his fingers, which previously caused him excruciating pain with the slightest movement, could now move freely. Moreover, the persistent ache that had plagued him had been greatly alleviated!

"This..." The old man was pleasantly surprised. He knew this must be Zhang He's doing, though he couldn't fathom how to explain it.

Seeing the old man's reaction, Zhang He knew that using the fire-toxin energy of the Fire Qilin to attack the ailment in the old man's hands had truly worked. Rheumatism could be described as cold-toxin stagnating within the body; because it couldn't be cleared, it eventually hardened into a chronic condition. Now, by infusing a wisp of Rejuvenation True Qi containing the Fire Qilin's fire-toxin, Zhang He had immediately purged a portion of the rheumatic cold-toxin from the old man's hands.

"It is not a major problem to fully heal your hands. Old sir, would you be willing to craft a few pieces of jewelry for me? In return, I can heal your hands completely." Zhang He smiled slightly.

This was a deal where the old man stood to gain immensely!

The old man snapped out of his shock, and upon hearing Zhang He's words, he nodded frantically, his voice trembling with excitement. "Yes! As long as you can heal my hands, never mind a few pieces—even if it were dozens or hundreds, I would agree!"

"That is good." Zhang He smiled warmly. He felt a weight lift from his heart; his birthday gift for Lian Yunbi was finally sorted out.

"Young man, what material should the jewelry be made of?" the old man asked enthusiastically. Fearing Zhang He might not understand, he continued to explain, "Crafting jewelry requires not only specialized tools but also materials. I have the tools, but I lack the materials."

"Gold will do." Zhang He thought for a moment; platinum probably didn't exist here yet. Gold was a bit common, but it would suffice. "I have some gold coins here. If we melt them down, surely they can be used to craft jewelry, right?"

Although gold coins weren't pure gold—they were alloyed with other metals—it was precisely this that allowed them to maintain a golden luster without being so soft that they wore away too quickly.

"That will work." The old man nodded. "Then come with me. I'll take you to my place first, and then we can discuss the requirements for the jewelry... though my hands are still a bit stiff, so crafting high-quality pieces might be difficult..."

As the old man spoke, he looked at Zhang He with hopeful eyes. Zhang He had only infused a single wisp of Rejuvenation True Qi and hadn't fully healed him yet.

Zhang He chuckled. "Rest assured, I will heal your hands completely. I still need you to craft exquisite jewelry for me, after all."

The old man smiled sheepishly. He took the lead, guiding Zhang He toward the place where he lived.

On the way, the old man chatted with Zhang He. From him, Zhang He learned that the old man's surname was Qin, and his name was Qin Faliang. The jewelry trade wasn't actually his family's ancestral craft. In his youth, he had followed a master to learn blacksmithing, intending to become a weaponsmith. But eventually, feeling that weapons were instruments of slaughter that went against the harmony of heaven, he grew to despise crafting them and switched to making jewelry instead.

In a dilapidated courtyard, one entered to find two low-roofed houses. The yard was cluttered with firewood of various sizes, piled in disarray.

"It's a bit dirty and messy here, please don't mind," Old Man Qin said, feeling embarrassed. He hurried over to open the door. When Zhang He stepped inside, he was surprised. There were only two rooms in total, yet apart from where he slept, every other space in Old Man Qin's home was filled with jewelry-making tools!

He was truly dedicated! Zhang He formed a simple judgment of Old Man Qin in his heart. Several blueprints were hung on the wall, depicting various jewelry designs. It was clear that Old Man Qin valued these drawings highly, as he had specially treated the edges to prevent them from tearing.

Compared to the jewelry in Fengxiang Jewelry Store, these designs seemed much more intricate. However... Zhang He couldn't help but sigh when he looked at them.

They were too ugly!

"You have paper and brushes here, right? I'll draw a few designs for you, and you can craft them according to my drawings." Zhang He turned to look at Old Man Qin, who was tidying up to make room for him to sit.

"Ah? Yes, yes." Old Man Qin was stunned for a moment, then snapped to his senses and immediately fetched charcoal pencils and paper.

Zhang He picked them up, spread the paper out, and after a moment of thought, the charcoal pencil began to dance rapidly across the page. Swish, swish, swish—the pencil left lines trailing behind it, and soon, an exquisite design leaped onto the paper. It looked almost three-dimensional!

At first, Old Man Qin thought Zhang He would only draw a rough outline, leaving the rest for him to fill in. When he saw the delicate draftsmanship Zhang He displayed, he couldn't help but feel surprised.

His gaze fell upon the paper, and he was stunned by the lifelike image and the exquisite styling.

"This, this... how did you draw this? It looks just like the real thing!" Old Man Qin was both shocked and delighted; his eyes were glued to the paper, unable to look away.

Zhang He offered a faint, wry smile. What was this, really? It was nothing more than a simple sketch, utilizing light and shadow.

"You are to craft a necklace. The design of this necklace is truly unique; I have never seen such a style before! It is so exquisite—it looks like a drop of water, giving it a sense of vitality. How could you come up with such a beautiful design?" Old Man Qin stared at the image of the necklace, deeply moved.

He considered himself a master in the jewelry trade and had seen many designs, but he had never seen anything like what was drawn on the paper. Previously, he had always regarded the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown as his proudest work. But compared to this necklace, the crown paled in comparison!

Although the construction of this necklace was not as complex as the Heavenly Fragrance Phoenix Crown, its design, unique patterns, and even the clasp mechanism all exuded exquisite craftsmanship!

With his seasoned eye and wealth of experience, he knew that this piece of jewelry was absolutely one-of-a-kind; if it were brought out, it would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation!

In an instant, Zhang He transformed into a genius in the eyes of Old Man Qin.

Zhang He looked at the necklace, yet he frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the center where a sapphire was supposed to be inlaid.

"I don't have a sapphire, but I do have a Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill."

A sudden idea struck Zhang He. The first Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill had already been drained of its demonic poison, its color shifting from blood-red to a lustrous white, with a sheen more gentle and warm than the finest pearls.

Most importantly, although this Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill no longer contained demonic poison, it still retained its icy attribute. Held in the hand, the cool aura it emitted would spread throughout the entire body. In the heat of summer, wearing such a pill would surely dispel the sweltering warmth.

"Lian Yunbi also possesses the Kirin Bloodline and must surely suffer from the fire poison of that bloodline. For an ordinary person, wearing this Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill would likely only result in the cold invading their body and causing harm. However, if Lian Yunbi wears it, she won't have such troubles. On one hand, the chill of the Cold Flood Dragon will help neutralize the heat within her, making her more comfortable; on the other hand, the alternation of cold and heat acts like the union of yin and yang, which will be of great benefit to Lian Yunbi's cultivation."

Zhang He could not help but feel excited by this idea. Since he had absorbed all the demonic poison from the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill, it held no further value for him. Now that he could put it to use to craft a fine piece of jewelry, Zhang He was naturally pleased.

Zhang He explained his thoughts in detail to Old Man Qin, instructing him to leave a space to finally install the Cold Flood Dragon Poison Pill. For Old Man Qin, who had been immersed in jewelry crafting for many years, this was naturally a piece of cake.

Afterward, Zhang He drew several other patterns. Every jewelry design featured a unique shape, and the ingenuity and beauty they displayed left Old Man Qin marveling, repeatedly calling Zhang He a genius.

"I will certainly craft these pieces for you. You can come to collect them in two days!" Old Man Qin's eyes shone with excitement; seeing such blueprints, he could no longer suppress his urge to start working on them immediately!

Zhang He nodded and readily agreed. He trusted that Old Man Qin would put his heart into completing these pieces for him.

After settling the necessary matters, Zhang He used his Rejuvenation True Qi to help Old Man Qin dispel the rheumatic chill in his hands before taking his leave and returning to the Pharmacist Association.