Chapter 189 - 135: Guanxi Master of Braised Food
"Are they also Artifact Refiners?"
"They’re all Artifact Refiners."
"No problem." Chen Fan agreed with a smile. "What about the other two requests?"
"I cannot craft low-grade Spirit Treasures like the White Level. It’s not that I’m unwilling, but that I’m unable. I can only craft High Grade Spirit Treasures."
"Continue."
"I hope... to have my own Braised Room so I can make braised food."
"No problem."
Although Chen Fan didn’t understand the deal with this Braised Room, he still agreed. He stood up, helped Zhao Shengping to his feet, and said with a smile, "Have Lame Monkey take you to get a change of clothes. Later, after dark, I’ll take you back to the Mortal Realm."
"Oh, right—"
"When did you come to Jiangdong from the Guanxi Plain?"
"About seven years ago."
"What about the influence you used to have in Jiangdong? You’re just giving it up?"
"Bad management. It went out of business."
"That’s good."
...
Chen Fan sat in the empty room, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Zhao Shengping being led away by Lame Monkey. He was naturally happy that a Level 9 Artifact Refiner had suddenly shown up wanting to pledge allegiance.
This could solve many of his problems.
But more importantly, he needed to investigate the man’s background.
’Coming from the Guanxi Plain to Jiangdong...’
Few people would flee from the Guanxi Plain to Jiangdong. One would have to be in a truly desperate state.
The Guanxi Plain is south of Jiangnan.
It’s a vast area.
Larger than the four regions of Jiangbei, Jiangnan, and the others combined. The Slaughter Immortal Holy Land is located in the southernmost part of the Guanxi Plain, and the Godslaying Hall, founded by a 17-year-old Shao Qiu, was also established there.
Shao Qiu was captured exactly seven years ago.
’Perhaps Shao Qiu has heard of this person.’
After pondering for a moment, he took a Sound Transmission Talisman from his clothes and contacted Shao Qiu. "Have you ever heard of a figure in the Guanxi Plain named Zhao Shengping? His current title is the Jiangdong Furnace Master, a Level 9 Artifact Refiner."
Soon—
A voice came from the Sound Transmission Talisman.
"Zhao Shengping?"
The other person’s voice was mixed with the loud sound of wind, clearly indicating he was on the move.
Shao Qiu was leading the Dark Pavilion south today to other cities, clearing out the shops established by the Wind and Rain Tower.
"Domain Lord, how do you know about him?"
"He’s very famous in Guanxi, known as the ’Guanxi Master of Braised Food’."
"..."
Chen Fan’s brow furrowed slightly. Listening to the voice from the talisman, he asked in confusion, "Is a Level 9 Artifact Refiner that Rare in the Guanxi Plain? Enough to be called the ’Guanxi Furnace Master’?"
"Domain Lord, you may have misunderstood. A Level 9 Artifact Refiner is nothing special in Guanxi. The ’braised’ in his title refers to braised meat. He’s the Guanxi Master of Braised Food."
"Zhao Shengping was once the most outstanding disciple of an Artifact Refining Sect, with immense talent for Artifact Refining. But from the moment he joined the Sect, he never focused on his proper duties. His greatest love in life was cooking braised food."
"By the time he was expelled from the Sect, he was only a Level 9 Artifact Refiner. Those who were less talented than him back then had long since become Artifact Refiners of Level 10 or higher."
"The reason he’s famous is because he neglected his duties, and also..."
On the other end of the Sound Transmission Talisman, it sounded like Shao Qiu licked his lips.
"And because the braised food that guy makes is simply divine. Domain Lord, if you ever get a chance to taste it, you’ll know. He absolutely deserves the title ’Guanxi Master of Braised Food.’ No one in all of Guanxi makes it better than him."
"His specialty is Beggar’s Chicken. It’s to die for!"
"Later, the Young Master of his Sect became the new Sect Leader. The Young Master had long considered him an eyesore, feeling he brought shame upon their Sect. Moreover, he refused to craft Ordinary Spirit Treasures, making up excuses like his whole body would ache if he did. The new Sect Leader felt he was not only overly ambitious but also completely neglecting his proper duties."
"So he was directly expelled from the Sect."
"It’s said that Zhao Shengping knelt on the ground and begged the Young Master not to kick him out, promising he would focus on Artifact Refining from then on. He said he already considered the place his home and wouldn’t know where to go if he left the Sect, but he was driven out anyway."
"It’s a rather sad story, when you think about it."
"He spent almost his entire life in that Sect and truly treated it as his home. He’d managed to become an Outer Elder, and the air in the Sect was filled with the smell of braised meat every day. He was always feeding the disciples, and they all loved him for it."
"After that, I was imprisoned by the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land, so I didn’t hear much about him. Now that you’ve brought him up, Domain Lord, I’m suddenly reminded of him. I’m actually starting to crave his food. I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to eat it again."
"By the way, Domain Lord, where did you hear about this character?"
"From a beggar."
With a slightly odd expression, Chen Fan cut the connection and leaned back in his chair to ponder. For now, the man’s background seemed clean enough. He wasn’t the type to join the Mortal Realm with some special, hidden agenda.
Of course,
he definitely had a purpose.
No one does anything without a reason.
But as long as it wasn’t the kind of purpose that involved causing trouble or a backstabbing, there was no problem.
Besides...
’I refuse to believe it.’
’How good can a stupid Beggar’s Chicken possibly be?’
He didn’t linger.
He immediately stood up and walked toward the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage parked outside the house. He needed to return to the camp first and build an Artifact Refining Workshop.
...
「Inside the Mortal Realm Camp」
On the ground of the Celestial Pit outside Chen Fan’s cave, he marked out an area for the Artifact Refining Workshop. This building had a large footprint and needed ventilation for heat dissipation, making it a poor choice to place inside the cave.
Soon—
White lines formed the spectral image of a building in the air, which then solidified into a Wooden House.
He upgraded it to Level 3 in one go.
As he was preparing to upgrade it to Level 4, he suddenly looked hesitantly at the Yun Shao in his hand. ’Should I try it? See if I can trigger a qualitative change and get a special Artifact Refining Workshop?’
’Even if it becomes a special Life Workshop or Alchemy Workshop, it wouldn’t be a loss.’
’Or should I save it for later?’
After a few breaths,
he made up his mind. ’I won’t hoard an Exotic Treasure like this. If there’s even a sliver of a chance to strengthen the Mortal Realm’s foundation, I should use it as soon as possible. But... I’ll need to be fast.’
"Hooo..."
He took a deep breath.
He immediately blew the whistle. The moment the sound rang out, the whistle shattered into a pale green, liquid light that wrapped around him. At the same instant, he upgraded the Wooden House before him to Level 4, and a familiar, yet different, panel popped up.
-
[The Wooden House has been upgraded to Level 4, becoming a Stone House. It is now sturdier.]
[Please select an Upgrade Direction.]
[1: Life Workshop, can produce daily life items.]
[2: Alchemy Workshop, can refine Ghost Materials to create Elixirs. Requires an Alchemy Master in residence.]
[3: Qualitative Upgrade (Celestial Artifact Pavilion): Can forge Ghost Materials and other items to craft Spirit Treasures. Requires an Artifact Refiner in residence (Ordinary).]
-
Without the slightest hesitation,
he didn’t even look closely to see if the third option was the Direction of Qualitative Upgrade for the Artifact Refining Workshop. He selected it directly and prepared to upgrade again, hoping to get another upgrade option as quickly as possible.
However...
The upgrade failed.
[ps: Upgrading to Level 5 requires 5,000 Ghost Stones and Sea Embryo x1.]
"Sea Embryo again."
Chen Fan sighed softly. ’Oh well.’ He then looked closely at the result of the qualitative upgrade and smiled. Although it was only an Ordinary qualitative upgrade, he was already very satisfied. He just wondered how it compared to a regular Artifact Refining Workshop.
He looked at the panel for the Celestial Artifact Pavilion.
-
[Building Name]: Celestial Artifact Pavilion.
[Building Grade]: White.
[Building Level]: Level 4.
[Building Effect]:
1: Increased success rate when crafting Spirit Treasures.
2: Low probability of receiving a ’Blessing of Heaven and Earth’, which automatically raises a crafted Spirit Treasure’s grade by one.
ps: Upgrading to Level 5 requires 5,000 Ghost Stones and Sea Embryo x1.
-
"Not bad."
Chen Fan smiled. After finishing all this, he built four Level 3 Stone Houses nearby, then took out a Sound Transmission Talisman. "Bring Zhao Shengping over."
...
"Domain Lord."
Zhao Shengping had now shed his ragged beggar’s clothes and changed into a set of hemp garments. He looked at Chen Fan with a serious and respectful expression, all traces of the frivolity and flippancy from the city gate gone.
This was clearly his true demeanor.
"This Celestial Artifact Pavilion is yours from now on."
"As for the four houses next to it, one is for you to live in, two are for your apprentices, and the last one is the Braised Room I prepared for you. But I haven’t stocked it with any meat or spices. You’ll need to prepare those yourself."