"Jiangdong Furnace Master"

Chen Fan looked at the Elderly Man in front of him with a slightly strange expression, but after thinking for a moment, he took the brush the Elderly Man handed him, spread the Blank Couplet on the ground, pondered for a while, and then picked up the brush to write.

The first line reads, "Though the night is deep, it will eventually end."

The second line reads, "After enduring bitter cold, spring will surely come."

"Take it."

He smiled and returned the couplet to the Elderly Man. It was almost Chinese New Year, so he could use it as a New Year couplet. The couplet was missing a horizontal scroll. He didn't know if the Exotic Treasure was missing one or if the vendor had sold one less.

Then he glanced at the remaining rare Exotic Treasure on the stall.

His gaze lingered on an Exotic Treasure as he casually remarked.

"This Exotic Treasure looks interesting. I'll take it home and appraise it myself. What's its price?"

"3800 Eerie Stone."

The vendor hesitated for a moment, explaining that he had actually bought this rare Exotic Treasure for 3,800 Eerie Stone. It was a Green Grade Exotic Treasure, and normally he couldn't sell it for that price; he had to make a profit. He reasoned, "If you're not going to make money, are you just here to experience life?"

But he was already a little embarrassed after Chen Fan failed to open one, so he didn't dare to ask for more money. Although Blind Box Opening is like that, with wins and losses, the other party is, after all, the Mortal Domain Lord. If he was unhappy with the opening, it would be difficult for him to leave Jiangbei.

"I'll take it."

That's a whistle.

An Exotic Treasure with an extremely unusual shape.

This time, the Crippled Monkey didn't hand over the Eerie Stone. Instead, it handed over several tokens marked with specific numbers. These tokens contained the aura of the Mortal Domain and could not be forged. They could be exchanged for Eerie Stone at shops in the Mortal Domain before leaving the city, or they could be used at any shop under the Mortal Domain.

Chen Fan and his group disappeared into the crowd.

The chatter on the street gradually picked up.

Chen Fan poured himself a cup of piping hot tea with a satisfied expression and sipped it gently. The weather was getting colder and colder, and drinking a cup of hot tea like this would be very comforting at this time. It hadn't snowed yet.

The Lunar New Year is approaching.

"Domain Lord."

Mortal Domain Member who passed by Chen Fan would stop and respectfully greet him before continuing their work.

"Um."

Chen Fan nodded, meeting the gaze of the Mortal Domain Member. He vaguely remembered that this person seemed to be from the Qiuhe Wang Family, and chuckled, "How have you been settling into your life in the Mortal Domain lately?"

The Mortal Domain Member was about to take a step probably didn't expect Chen Fan to speak to him first. He was slightly taken aback before hurriedly and respectfully saying, "It's a habit, a habit... I..."

Actually, he felt a little uncomfortable.

He used to be the Station Master of the Qiuhe Wang Family.

The monthly wage is only 10 Eerie Stone.

Result...

Having only joined the Mortal Domain a month ago, he was given a reward of 100 Eerie Stone yesterday, equivalent to a year's wages when he was with the Wang Family. How could he get used to this? Who could get used to this?

As far as he knew, each Mortal Domain Member received a reward of 100 Eerie Stone.

There are a total of over two hundred people in the Mortal Domain.

The reward money alone amounted to over 20,000 Eerie Stone, with the Deputy Pavilion Master and the Pavilion Master receiving even more. This was equivalent to distributing the entire wealth of the two Qiuhe Wang Family. When had he ever seen such a wealthy force in Jiangbei?

If in the past people joined the Mortal Domain simply to find a place to eat.

Now everyone is working extremely hard.

I'm not afraid of anything else.

I'm terrified of being removed from the Mortal Domain; where can I find such a cushy job?

Even without discussing wages.

He used to have no Station Master chief in the Qiuhe Wang Family, but it's different in the Mortal Domain. Even though he doesn't hold any official position, those powerful forces speak to him with great respect.

They've really put on a show of respect.

Neither wages nor face mattered.

Speaking solely of security.

Station Master is not a safe job. What kind of safe job is it to be stationed at Station in the Wasteland? But things are different now. During the Rainy Season in the Mortal Domain, the Wraith King Slaying, and after the Rainy Season, the southward expedition destroyed the Pill Sect, thus reshaping the trade pattern in Jiangbei and other places.

Staying here is so much safer than when I was the Station Master.

It pays well, gives you prestige, and is safe.

He couldn't find a reason to be disloyal to the Mortal Domain. Of course, he knew that he didn't actually have much ability. His joining the Mortal Domain was largely due to good luck. He was recruited along with the Qiuhe Wang Family. So all he could do was work diligently and do his best.

You'll get used to it.

Chen Fan chuckled and patted the shoulder of the Mortal Domain Member in front of him, saying with a smile, "Go on, get back to work. Little Qiu is in charge of logistics. If you have any opinions or ideas about the Mortal Domain, you can always talk to Little Qiu about them."

"Yes!"

The Mortal Domain Member nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with excitement and fear. He hadn't expected the Domain Lord to speak to him so closely and alone. Now he had to add another reason to be loyal to the Mortal Domain: the Domain Lord was powerful and kind to his subordinates.

59

Chen Fan chuckled as he watched the departing Mortal Domain Member, clicking his tongue with a slight sigh.

People in this world are actually quite accepting of their fate.

Or rather, they have a high degree of acceptance of death.

If you can give me a meal and some wages, I'll risk my life for you.

If the pay is higher and there are other added benefits, then they are your loyal followers, at your disposal.

Then he looked at the Exotic Treasure in his hand, which he had acquired at the cost of 3,800 Eerie Stone.

He walked around the streets.

There aren't many decent rare Exotic Treasure.

Most of the "other" type of Exotic Treasure don't have very good effects; they're really no different from Blind Box Opening. The Green Grade Exotic Treasure in my hand is the biggest find on this street.

One "Exotic Treasure name": The Fortune Whistle.

"Exotic Treasure Grade": Green Grade.

"Exotic Treasure Effect": After blowing the whistle, one's luck will be slightly enhanced for three breaths. This is a one-time use Exotic Treasure.

Luck is such Void thing.

There is no specific numerical value.

Moreover, it may not have a specific effect. For example, if he is eating now and blows the "Fortune Whistle," the slight increase in his qi might only ensure that he won't choke on his food or eat ginger within three breaths.

But what if he's upgrading a building at this time?

Then perhaps we could give him one...

"Qualitative Transformation and upgrading direction".

There are currently several directions for Qualitative Transformation and upgrading within the Camp.

One of the directions for Qualitative Transformation improvement and upgrading is the City Wall.

"Thorn Counterarmor": All City Wall connected to this City Wall will have the "Thorn Counterarmor" effect, reflecting a small portion of the enemy's attack power back to the enemy before the City Wall reaches its maximum withstand capacity (normal).

It's ordinary.

But he quite liked this effect; it was like a passive presence that didn't consume any unnecessary Eerie Stone and had no usage conditions, so the more of this kind of effect, the better.

He planned to connect the 170-kilometer defense line City Wall in Jiangbei with the City Wall in front of Cave No. 1 in the Camp after the wall was completed, so that the entire Northbank Defense Line City Wall would have the same effect.

"Hey-hey..."

Thinking of this scene.

Chen Fan suddenly felt a sense of anticipation for the Jiangbei Battle four years later.

The last breach of the Northbank Defense Line was due to the incompetence of the Builder. From the Jade Slip left by the "Undying Celestial Master," we can learn that there were quite a few Builder stationed on the Northbank Defense Line at that time. There were 12 Builder of the level of the Undying Celestial Master, and one even stronger Builder.

But...

It's still a bit lacking.

This time it's different.

With him in charge this time, as long as the plan doesn't go wrong, the Northbank Defense Line he's building will consume fewer resources and have a stronger effect, completely turning Jiangbei into an impregnable fortress!

Just then -

Suddenly, the Crippled Monkey limped over quickly, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "Young Master, there's suddenly a ragged old man at the city gate. He looks like Artifact Refiner."

"But he didn't enter the city; he just stood at the city gate."

This had already attracted a large crowd of onlookers.

"Oh?"

Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully. He really needed a high-level Artifact Refiner. There were a lot of materials in the Warehouse that no one Forging. The "Earth Gold" had been sitting there for a long time and no one knew how to Forging.

However, Level-7 Artifact Refiner is required.

Lowering it won't help.

Did he mention what level of Artifact Refiner he was?

"He didn't say a word, but judging from his demeanor, he couldn't be low-ranking."

"Come, let's go see for ourselves."

Mortal City.

It is located near Nameless Mountain.

It was midday, and many Trade Association were coming and going at the city gate. Mortal City only had this one gate, so no matter which direction you came from, you had to take a detour to reach it. Once inside the city, you would see the "Mortal Domain Market" on both sides of the street.

There weren't a particularly large number of people.

After all, there aren't many ordinary people in the Mortal City; it's mainly comprised of the Trade Association from various factions.

At this moment.

The Trade Association coming and going all looked at the old man standing in front of the city gate with strange expressions.

This old man is a bit strange.

Despite the freezing weather, he was dressed in tattered clothes and appeared to have no protective Exotic Treasure on him; his skin was red from the cold.

He was filthy, and his hair looked like a bird's nest.

He was holding a tattered flag in his hand.

There were two lines of somewhat messy writing on it.

It's like a limerick.

Chen Fan, surrounded by the Crippled Monkey and his companions, walked out of the Mortal City. He looked at the dirty old man standing at the city gate, his gaze lingering on the flag, and murmured softly.

"If the fire in the vessel remains unextinguished, then seek a fine tree to roost in."

"A forging hammer, a new roof over one's head."

Horizontal scroll...

"To risk one's life in chaotic times."

The gazes of the surrounding chambers of the Trade Association also turned towards them. Although they didn't form a circle, it was obvious that everyone's movements slowed down considerably, and they glanced over from time to time.

Perhaps it's because there's not much entertainment in this world.

He discovered that people in this world truly enjoy watching the drama unfold.

It's great to have some melons to eat.

Even if there's no gossip, you'll still find something to eat.

"Does it have a name?"

Chen Fan walked up to the ragged old man and asked him a question.

The old man's eyelids drooped, and without raising his head, he pulled out a Beggar's Chicken from his pocket, tore off Chicken Leg, stuffed it into his mouth with oil dripping from his mouth, and smeared his hands with juice, coldly sneering without any regard for his image.

"I've long forgotten my name."

"I now know that people have given me a title, something like 'Jiangdong Furnace Master'."

The next moment -

Suddenly, gasps of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"My goodness, it's actually the Jiangdong Furnace Master! It's said that he was a high-level Artifact Refiner from Guanxi Plains, but later settled in the East River and established his own power, Forging countless exquisite Spirit Treasure!"

"That's right! I never expected to become the Jiangdong Furnace Master here!"

"Over the years, I've heard of the name of the Jiangdong Furnace Master, but I've never actually met him. I never expected to encounter him here."

"I've heard that even a casually crafted Spirit Treasure by the Jiangdong Furnace Master can fetch a high price."

"Does he intend to join the Mortal Domain? Does he no longer want his own power? Can the Mortal Realm afford to hire him? Many powerful forces have tried to invite Jiangdong Furnace Master to join them before, but he refused them all, even mocking them, saying they weren't worth it."

"It seems that Jiangdong Furnace Master truly approves of the Mortal Domain!"

The sounds kept rising from every corner of the crowd.

Some people nodded in sudden realization; they had indeed heard of the name of the Jiangdong Furnace Master. However, some people from Jiangnan or Jiangxi were somewhat embarrassed, as they did not know much about the East River and had never heard of this person.

However, it seems that he should be a well-known figure.

These days...

Anyone who has earned their own title is no ordinary person.

For example, Old Ren of Jiangbei and Jiangdong Furnace Master.

Wherever he goes, people have to treat him with respect.

"Oh."

The ragged old man, who had been standing still, didn't care about his appearance at all. He sat down cross-legged without even looking up at Chen Fan. He then pulled a flea out of his father's head, stuffed it into his mouth with a knife, and sneered.

"Just some common names used in the underworld."

"Not worth mentioning."

He didn't say anything more.

Just then--

Zhou Mo led his men out of the city gate, strode up to Chen Fan, and whispered a message in his ear.

Chen Fan's expression gradually turned strange. He looked at the old man sitting cross-legged on the ground. After listening to Zhou Mo's report, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated the people of this world.

"So, you've come here to join the Mortal Domain?"

"Not really."

The old man shook his head, tossed the chicken bone out of his mouth, and lay lazily on the ground, saying, "I've heard that the Mortal Domain is currently making waves, so I came to see what kind of person Domain Lord Chen is. Today, I've come along, and it's certainly a good opportunity."

"Artifact Refiner are meant to serve their factions, and the original faction disbanded because they were too lazy to maintain it. If Domain Lord Chen can afford to pay for his services, it's not impossible for him to stay."

"But Domain Lord Chen, you do have one chance to make a bid."

"If the price is not right, I will not listen to the price a second time."

"So."

Chen Fan suddenly laughed, "Come inside with me, and I'll give you a price you can't refuse, how about it?"

"Alright."

The old man sprang to his feet with a somersault, casually wiping the oil stains from his hands onto his shabby clothes before ignoring the onlookers and following Chen Fan into the Mortal City.

Inside a room in Mortal City.

Chen Fan sat on the chair, holding a cup of hot tea, and looked at the disheveled old man standing in the room. Crippled Monkey and Zhou Mo stood on either side of him. After a long pause, he finally laughed.

"May I ask what level of Artifact Refiner you are, senior?"

Level 9.

The ragged old man, without any regard for appearances, reached into his crotch, sniffed it, and then walked ahead. His words were devoid of any arrogance; on the contrary, he was completely indifferent, as if being Level-9 Artifact Refiner was something insignificant.

But in reality...

Level-9 Artifact Refiner is definitely among the best, whether in the East River or Jiangnan!

The largest Artifact Refining force in Jiangnan is the "Furnace Fire Sect," but it is said that the strongest Artifact Refiner in the Furnace Fire Sect is only level 9.