Chapter 248 – Happyland, Undying Husk Slaughters a Fifth Rank Foe, Enemy Right Beside You! - Part 2
Li Yuan arrived at the Cui residence. Waiting for him was a tall man in a loose blue robe, someone with a free-spirited air. Upon Li Yuan’s arrival, the man stood up and bowed. This was Gu Mo, an elder from the Holy Tree Temple and someone associated with Gu Xuejian’s faction, so he had a particular fondness for Li Yuan.
They exchanged pleasantries before Gu Mo explained, “Master Li, I’d like you to forge me a spirit shield. I’ve brought all the materials; sorry to trouble you.”
“Elder Gu, are you heading out on a campaign?” Li Yuan asked.
“At the end of this year,” Gu Mo answered cheerfully. “I want a new spirit artifact before I leave, give myself an extra trump card. As for asking Master Gong for help...well, every time I deal with him, it’s like swallowing a fly. He’s so tedious. Better to rely on one of our own.”
Li Yuan was already aware of Master Gong, whose full name was Gong Lang. He forged brilliant spirit artifacts, but his high standards and perfectionism made him hard to approach. Anyone who wanted him to craft something had to endure his endless deliberation. Though his weapons were top-notch, he produced very few. Nor did he seem inclined to turn out a wealth of high-end seventh rank weapons just to make money.
By contrast, Li Yuan was a people-friendly weaponsmith who maintained lower prices and higher output, forging nearly anything for anyone. It wasn’t the lofty demeanor others might expect from a master craftsman, but he had a reason. He needed funds to support his growing network. Lacking concerns about his own lifespan, he preferred to build a safe and solid power base for himself. That required money...and plenty of it.
Li Yuan offered a polite smile. He was keenly aware of the rumored bad blood between Gong Lan and his father-in-law. Speaking ill of Gang Lang in this situation would only do more harm than good. So, he simply said, “If Elder Gu trusts me, rest assured I’ll forge that shield to the very best of my abilities. I won’t let you down.”
Gu Mo laughed heartily. “You’re too modest, Master Li. We’re all on the same side, aren’t we?”
They chatted a while longer, after which Gu Mo brought over 2,000 taels of blood gold as payment. Although it was heavy in mass, its overall volume was surprisingly small. Gu Mo then took his leave, leaving Li Yuan to store the forging materials temporarily in the Cui Clan’s smithing hall, under the care of its disciples.
Afterward, Li Yuan was guided to the residence’s rear courtyard, where a languid-looking young man in white stood in a pavilion. Noticing Li Yuan’s approach, he turned and smiled. This was Cui Wuji, the Cui Clan’s patriarch.