"Western Pass Braised-Food Master"

"Good."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded. A Level-9 Artifact Refiner perfectly met the needs of the Mortal Domain. The batch of "Earth Gold" finally had a master who could forge them.

Didn't you just say I only had one chance to make an offer?

"If the price isn't right for you this time, you'll turn around and leave right now, right?"

Now I'll give you a price.

"Kneel down and join the Mortal Domain within three breaths, or you will die."

The old man standing inside, his tattered Clothing emitting a foul odor, instantly darkened upon hearing this. "Domain Lord Chen, do you perhaps think my title of Jiangdong Furnace Master was just something I picked up?"

"Or do you think a Level-9 Artifact Refiner like me is so easy to manipulate?"

"Are you really going to fight me to the death?"

"One breath."

"Chen Fan!"

The old man, his expression tinged with anger, said, word by word, "Once this gets out, how will the world view the Mortal Domain?"

"Two breaths."

"Domain Lord Chen," the old man took a deep breath and said seriously, "Pretend I wasn't here today, I..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Chen Fan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and casually waved his hand.

"Three breaths."

Standing beside him, Zhou Mo, expressionless, immediately drew his sword, ready to step forward.

"Thump."

Before Chen Fan could even finish uttering the words "three breaths," the old man had already knelt down on the spot with a swift and respectful expression, saying, "Jiangdong Furnace Master pays his respects to Domain Lord Chen. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Chen Fan looked at the old man kneeling on the ground and smiled, casually saying, "Bring him in."

The next moment -

Zhou Mo's Subordinate brought in more than a dozen people.

These dozen or so people Clothing differently, but if you had observed them carefully at the city gate, you would have noticed that they were the same people who had been clamoring about how awesome the Jiangdong Furnace Master was.

"Master."

"Master..."

The dozen or so people looked at the old man kneeling on the ground, and some immediately lowered their heads in shame. "We were very careful, but we were still discovered."

"Waste!"

The old man, only now realizing what had happened, glared angrily at the dozen or so people. "I knew something went wrong! You can't even handle something this small! A bunch of useless trash! I've raised you for so long, you'd be better off as livestock!"

Then he looked at Chen Fan, scratched his head awkwardly, and chuckled sheepishly.

"That Domain Lord Chen..."

"So... what do we do now?"

"You may all leave."

Chen Fan waved his hand. "I'd like to have a private talk with this old gentleman."

Inside the room, only Chen Fan and the old man remained. At this moment, the old man stopped pretending; although his face was full of embarrassment, he stood ramrod straight.

Like a pine tree.

The exposed muscle lines possess a violent beauty; this is an old man covered in bulging muscles.

"Does it have a name now?"

"Got it."

The old man said somewhat awkwardly, "Zhao Shengping."

"Tell me, what's the point of all this charade? It's obvious you came here for the Mortal Domain from the start, why not just get straight to the point?"

"That..."

The old man scratched his head and muttered, "As the saying goes, even good wine needs advertising. If I come here and say I want to join the Mortal Domain, wouldn't that make me seem too cheap? I'm thinking of putting on a bit of prestige so I can get a better price..."

"Is this what you call 'high-class'? Do you usually dress like this?"

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, looking the old man up and down.

"I don't usually dress like this." The old man shook his head firmly. "As an Artifact Refiner, dressing like this would make it difficult to even swing Hammer. I only have two hobbies, one of which is going to Teahouse to listen to storytelling. In those Storybook, the reclusive masters are all dressed in a slovenly and unrefined manner."

"I figured I'd get myself dressed like this so I'd look like a hermit or a sage."

2

"And then they even found you a bunch of shills to flatter you?"

Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh.

"Who taught them all?"

"Actually... I had another script, but it wasn't used."

Tell me about it.

"Another scenario was that after I arrived in Mortal City, I had my apprentice impersonate someone from another faction. Several factions frantically tried to win me over, offering me very high prices, to show you, Domain Lord Chen, that I was in high demand. But after thinking about it, I decided not to use that scenario."

"Why? It sounds more interesting."

"Um... I'm a little worried that you might have wiped out those forces, Domain Lord Chen."

"I think you might have some misunderstandings about the Mortal Domain."

"So you clearly wanted to join the Mortal Domain from the beginning, right?"

"Um.

Tell me your reasons for wanting to join.

After the wrinkles on Zhao Shengping's face rippled like ocean waves a few times, he spoke with a serious expression.

Firstly.

"The Mortal Domain has risen at an astonishing speed; it's the fastest-rising power I've ever seen. I believe the Mortal Domain will achieve great things in the future."

Secondly.

"I've learned that there are currently no Artifact Refiner in the Mortal Domain. I joined early enough, and I'm Level-9 Artifact Refiner, so perhaps I can become the head Artifact Refining in the Mortal Domain."

Thirdly.

"I really like your style of doing things, Domain Lord Chen. You killed the Pill Sect Young Master one day and wiped out the entire Pill Sect the next. I think working Domain Lord Chen you will be very rewarding in the future."

How much are you looking for?

"How about 500 Eerie Stone per month?" the old man hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively.

"So little?"

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. He was genuinely surprised. A Level-9 Artifact Refiner, someone capable of establishing their own sect, only received 500 Eerie Stone as wages each month. What was the difference between that and getting it for free?

"But I have three more requests, I don't know if that's possible."

"Firstly, my apprentices are currently without a place to stay. I hope they can also join the Mortal Domain and help me out on a regular basis. Their wages don't need to be so high."

"Also Artifact Refiner?"

"They're all Artifact Refiner."

"No problem," Chen Fan agreed with a smile. "What about the other two requests?"

"I cannot forge low-grade Spirit Treasure like White Grade, not because I am unwilling, but because I am unable to. I can only forge high-grade Spirit Treasure."

"Continue."

"I hope... to have my own 'Braised-Food Room' so I can make Braised Delicacies."

"No problem."

Although Chen Fan didn't understand the situation at this Braised-Food Room, he still nodded, stood up, helped Zhao Shengping up, and said with a smile, "Let the Crippled Monkey take you back to change your clothes. Later, when it gets dark, I'll take you back to the Mortal Domain."

"That's right."

When did you come to the East River from the West Pass Plains?

Seven years ago, I think.

"You're giving up your former influence in the East River?"

"It went bankrupt due to poor management."

"Good."

Chen Fan sat in the empty room, looking at Zhao Shengping who had been taken away by the Crippled Monkey. His eyes narrowed slightly. He was naturally happy that a Level-9 Artifact Refiner had suddenly come to him for help.

It can solve many of his problems.

But more importantly, it's about finding out the other party's background.

From the West Pass Plains East River...

Very few people would travel from the West Pass Plains to the east of the East River; they would have to be in dire straits to do so.

The West Pass Plains is located south of the Jiangnan.

It has a large area.

It is larger than the four regions of Jiangbei and Jiangnan combined, and the "Slaying Immortal Holy Land" is located at the southernmost edge of the West Pass Plains. The "Godslayer Hall" that Shao Qiu founded when he was 17 years old was established in the West Pass Plains.

Exactly seven years ago, Shao Qiu was arrested.

Shao Qiu may have heard of this person.

After pondering for a moment, he took out Message Talisman from his pocket and contacted Shao Qiu: "Have you ever heard of a famous figure in the West Pass Plains named Zhao Shengping, now known as the Jiangdong Furnace Master, Level-9 Artifact Refiner?"

Soon, a voice came through the Message Talisman.

"Zhao Shengping?"

The other person's voice was accompanied by a loud gust of wind, clearly indicating they were in a hurry.

Today, Shao Qiu led the "Shadow Pavilion" south to other City to clear out the shops that "Wind and Rain Tower" had set up in those City.

"How do you know him, Domain Lord?"

He is very famous in the Kansai and is known as the "Western Pass Braised-Food Master".

Chen Fan frowned slightly, listening to the voice coming from the Message Talisman with some confusion, "Are Level-9 Artifact Refiner really that Rare in the West Pass Plains? To be called a 'Kansai Furnace Master'?"

"Domain Lord, you may have misunderstood. Level-9 Artifact Refiner is nothing special in Kansai. He's the 'Lu' in 'Luwei' (Braised Delicacies food), the Western Pass Braised-Food Master."

"Zhao Shengping used to be the most outstanding disciple of an Artifact Refining sect, possessing exceptional talent in Artifact Refining. However, from the moment he joined the sect, he began to neglect his duties, and his greatest love in life was cooking Braised Delicacies."

"Until he was expelled from the sect, he was only Level-9 Artifact Refiner. Those who were less talented than him back then were already Level-10-Plus Artifact Refiner."

"He became famous because he didn't do his job properly, and..."

On the other end of the Message Talisman, Shao Qiu seemed to lick his lips.

"And that guy's braised Braised Delicacies is absolutely Domain Lord. If you ever have the chance to try it, you'll know. He definitely deserves the title of 'Western Pass Braised-Food Master.' No one in the entire Kansai makes Braised Delicacies food better than him."

"My specialty is Beggar's Chicken, it's absolutely amazing!"

"Later, when the young master of the sect he belonged to became the sect leader, he had long disliked him, feeling that he had brought shame to the sect. Moreover, he didn't craft ordinary Spirit Treasure, but instead made excuses like his whole body ached when he crafted ordinary Spirit Treasure. The young master felt that he was not only ambitious but also neglecting his duties."

"Expel him from the sect immediately."

"It is said that Zhao Shengping knelt on the ground and begged the young master not to send him away, saying that he would definitely work hard at Artifact Refining in the future, and that he had already regarded this place as his own home, and really didn't know where to go if he left the sect, but he was still driven away."

It's quite a sad story.

"He practically spent his entire life in that sect, truly treating it like his own home. He rose to the rank of outer sect Elder, and the sect's air was always filled with the aroma of Braised Meat, which he fed to the disciples every day. The disciples all loved him."

"After that, I was imprisoned by the Slaying Immortal Holy Land and haven't heard much about him. It was only when you mentioned it, Domain Lord, that I remembered him. I've really been craving it. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to taste it again."

"By the way, Domain Lord, how did you learn about this person?"

"From a beggar's mouth."

After hanging up the communication with a slightly strange expression, Chen Fan leaned back in his chair and pondered. From what he could see, this person's background was relatively clean; he wasn't the kind of person who joined the Mortal Domain with any special purpose.

Certainly.

There must be a purpose behind it.

No one does something without a purpose.

But as long as it's not for the purpose of causing trouble or backstabbing, there's no problem.

And..

He simply didn't believe it.

How delicious can a lousy Beggar's Chicken be?

They didn't linger.

He immediately got up and walked towards the Nine-Five Dragon Chariot parked outside the house. He needed to return to the Camp first to build an Artifact Workshop.

Inside the Mortal Domain Camp.

On the Sinkhole Surface outside Chen Fan 'Cave, an area was marked out as Artifact Workshop. This building was quite large and needed ventilation and heat dissipation, so placing it inside the Cave was not a good choice.

Soon, the white lines formed architectural silhouettes in the air and solidified into Wooden Hut.

He promoted him to level 3 in one go.

Just as he was about to level up to Level 4, he suddenly hesitated and looked at the "Fortune Whistle" in his hand. Should he give it a try? See if he could Qualitative Transformation into a special Artifact Workshop?

If it's a special Life Workshop or Alchemy Workshop, then it's not a bad deal either.

Or should we keep it for later use?

A few breaths later.

He made up his mind not to store this Exotic Treasure. He would use it as soon as possible if there was even the slightest chance to enhance the Mortal Domain Foundation, but... he needed to react quickly.

"Call..."

He took a deep breath.

He immediately blew the whistle, and the moment the whistle sounded, it shattered and turned into a pale Gilded Light that wrapped around him. He also instantly upgraded the Wooden Hut in front of him to Level 4, and a familiar yet different panel popped up in front of him.

The Wooden Hut has been upgraded to Level 4, becoming Stone House and much more sturdy.

Please select an upgrade direction.

1: The Life Workshop can produce daily necessities.

"2: The Alchemy Workshop allows you to refine Pills using Ghost Material. Alchemist must be present to oversee it."

"3: Qualitative Transformation (Heavenly Artifact Pavilion): Spirit Treasure can be crafted using Forging Ghost Material, requiring Artifact Refiner to be present (Normal)."

Without the slightest hesitation.

He didn't even bother to check if the third option was a Qualitative Transformation upgrade path for the Artifact Workshop before selecting it and preparing to upgrade again to acquire as many upgrade paths as possible.

But...

Upgrade failed.

"Ps: Upgrading to level 5 requires 5,000 Eerie Stones and 1 " Sea Embryo "."

"Another Sea Embryo."

Chen Fan sighed softly. Oh well, then looked carefully at the direction of Qualitative Transformation and smiled. Although it was just an ordinary Qualitative Transformation upgrade, he was already very satisfied. He just didn't know how it compared to ordinary Artifact Workshop.

He looked at the panel of the Heavenly Artifact Pavilion.

Building Name: Heavenly Artifact Pavilion.

Building grade: White.

Building grade: Level 4.

Architectural effect:

1: Increased success rate in crafting Spirit Treasures.

2: There is a low probability of receiving blessings from Heaven and Earth, which will automatically upgrade the grade of the crafted Spirit Treasure.

PS: Upgrading to level 5 requires 5,000 Eerie Stones and 1 "Sea Embryo".

"Good."

Chen Fan laughed. After finishing all this, he built four Level-3 Stone House next to him before taking out Message Talisman:

6

"Bring Zhao Shengping over here."

"Domain Lord."

At this moment, Zhao Shengping had already changed out of his ragged beggar clothes and into a hempen Hemp Robe. He looked at Chen Fan with a serious expression and spoke respectfully, no longer displaying the flippancy and frivolity he had shown at the city gate.

This is clearly his true state.

"This Heavenly Artifact Pavilion is yours from now on."

"Of those four buildings over there, one is for you to live in, two are for your apprentices, and the last one is a braised Braised-Food Room prepared for you, but it doesn't have any meat or spices prepared for you; you'll have to prepare those yourself."