Chapter 60 - Cunning (1/2)
In the spacious refinery, the walls were built with dark brown stone slabs, a colour that resembled the skin of a giant. The floor was paved with heterogeneous granite slabs which were sometimes icy cold, and at times, fiery hot.
Three enormous and rotund refinery furnaces segregated the room into three precise sections. The central furnace was burning ferociously with devious and mysterious blue flames. The reflections against the bezel of the closed hearth brought about the display of strange colours.
The closed hearth was like the eight trigrams furnace that could suppress the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Its stove lid was whizzing and bubbling with seething hot blue steam, an amazing sight.
The most bizzare thing could be found beside each side wall on the refinery room. On each side wall stood the body of a giant. It had an intact body despite a broken skull. Blood and cranial fluid spilled all over the floor.
Elder Song hastened towards the tripod furnace once he entered the refinery room. He delivered a volley strike, and the stove lid, which had almost broken free, immediately began to vibrate less.
Elder Song’s grave expression cleared up slightly. Suddenly, the stove lid violently jumped.
Elder Song was horrified. He executed another two blows. He roared at the stunned Xu Yi, “What are you waiting for? Pull the air box!”
Xu Yi sprung into action. He went to the furnace, grabbed the thick black handle, and pulled it vigorously.
He frowned after he tried to exert his strength. The handle was ridiculously heavy. He had to use a bull’s strength to move it.
Xu Yi pulled twice. The stove lid stopped. Elder Song watched the stove lid nervously. He did not dare move it, and he did not ask Xu Yi to stop.
Xu Yi quickly thought, “Elder Song, I have some urgent errands to attend to. I think you’d better get someone here to help!”
Elder Song frowned and bellowed, “What urgent errand would that be? Can it be to forge that piece of dragon crocodile skin? Haven’t I told you that there’s no one else but me in all of Guang’an who’s capable of doing that?”
“The old man doesn’t know how to play the game. Let me add some accessories.”
Xu Yi was cursing silently. He eased his strength and continued, “I beg to differ. Who will dare to conclude that there’s no other talent? I may discover more.”
Once he eased his strength, immediate results could be seen. The stove lid started to jump boisterously.
Elder Song was so mad that his face turned a different color. He desperately struck at the tripod furnace and barked at Xu Yi, “I’ll forge for you! Quickly, take action!”
Xu Yi started to use more force and he gently implored, “I know you’re kind-hearted, however, the price…”
Elder Song felt like slapping the hateful Xu Yi dead. The latter wanted to rip him off. But now, he did not have the upper hand. He stiffened his neck and offered, “Two thousand, two thousand taels of gold for the deal!”
Son of a bitch, we are at the eleventh hour, and he’s still so adamant and stubborn? Xu Yi cursed silently, but he quipped, “How kind of you. You’re the only expert alchemist in all of Guang’an who can forge that material with spatial attributes. Pushing down your price seems disrespectful.”
Elder Song was astonished. He thought, “That rascal has had a change of heart.” Suddenly, he felt a little embarrassed.
Who would have thought that after his apologetic remark, his next statement would nearly cause Elder Song to lose his footing and slam into the wall.
“Elder, I’ve always charged for my services. How much do you think my work pulling the air box is worth?”
After beating about the bush, Xu Yi was waiting for his reply.
“One thousand taels of gold, I’ll charge you one thousand taels of gold. Are you satisfied?”
Elder Song was seething in anger.
“Elder, I’ve said it. I won’t bargain with the charges for forging my armour. I’m merely asking how much are you paying me for pulling the air box? If you have no sincerity, I’ll take my leave.”
As he was saying that, he released his hand again.