Chapter 83: Cooperation, He Is Different

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Cooperation, He Is Different

"Great sword! What a great sword!"

Liu Lianyue tested it out for a good while, unable to put it down. "An absolutely exceptional upper grade! Rarely seen on the market!"

"Of course!" Uncle Yuann raised his chin proudly. He thought, "Could a Profound Weapon produced by the Celestial Weapon Sect ever be of poor quality?"

Liu Zhi was completely in disbelief. He wondered, "Isn’t this his first time? To directly forge an Upper Grade Profound Weapon... Brother Lu is practically a god, isn’t he?"

Lu Yuan remained silent, merely offering a faint smile.

"Are these Profound Weapons forged by Little Brother Lu for sale?" Liu Lianyue asked, getting straight to the point.

"Naturally, if the price is right. I should be producing quite a few of them during my regular practice," Lu Yuan said with a smiling nod.

Waves stirred in Liu Lianyue’s heart, her gaze as gentle as water. "Then why not entrust them to our Liu Family? The Liu Family has the channels, and I guarantee we won’t let Little Brother Lu suffer any losses.

"On the market, such a Profound Weapon goes for roughly two thousand to three thousand taels of silver. If put up for auction, the price might climb even higher.

"How about this? I will offer you three thousand taels for each piece. What do you say?"

"Three thousand taels," Lu Yuan said in surprise. "Wouldn’t you be taking a heavy loss?"

"As long as it’s managed well, there’s still a profit to be made." Liu Lianyue tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. If the quality could be guaranteed, she planned to take the premium route through auctions.

"Why don’t we try a different approach?" Lu Yuan found a spot and sat down.

"Oh? I’m all ears." Liu Lianyue took a seat as well.

"You provide the ore, and I handle the forging. Sabers and swords will be two thousand taels a piece. Spears will be three thousand, and halberds will be five thousand. I can also accept custom orders," Lu Yuan voiced his thoughts. "How much you ultimately sell them for will depend entirely on your own capabilities. Whatever profit you make is yours to keep."

He believed this was the best model of cooperation, ensuring mutual benefit for both parties. He was highly unlikely to ever visit an auction house himself; as long as he got paid, he was satisfied.

"I see..." Liu Lianyue’s eyes sparkled as she quickly ran the calculations in her head. "Alright, we will do as Little Brother Lu suggests. In addition, from now on, any purchases Little Brother Lu makes at the Liu Family’s establishments will be given a fifty percent discount."

"Then I must thank Sister Liu," Lu Yuan said, cupping his fists. This was a substantial discount, especially since his future Pill consumption would be far from small.

"A pleasure doing business with you." Liu Lianyue smiled and led Liu Zhi away.

"That girl is incredibly sharp," Uncle Yuann praised.

"Naturally. Otherwise, how could she be the head manager of the Liu Family?" Lu Yuan smiled. He noted that not only was she smart, but her Martial Dao talent was also quite good, having already reached the Seventh Grade. Furthermore, she was skilled in Alchemy.

"How does she compare to your fiancée?" Uncle Yuann raised an eyebrow.

"Naturally, she cannot compare to my Siyao," Lu Yuan answered without hesitation. Lin Siyao’s aptitude was at the Prodigy Level. Being at the Prodigy Level meant mastering anything the moment she learned it, and becoming proficient with just a little effort. With a bit more hard work, she could rapidly achieve grand mastery and perfection. Moreover, Lin Siyao knew a vast array of skills, though she would often hide her true competence in front of him. It seemed she was afraid of dealing a blow to his confidence.

"Hearing you say that, I’m actually curious to meet her now." Uncle Yuann was instantly intrigued. The girl from earlier was already a one-in-a-hundred-thousand talent. If this fiancée was even more outstanding, just what level had she reached?

"Don’t even think about it," Lu Yuan quickly shook his head. This old man was deeply inappropriate, and there was no telling what outrageous things he might blurt out.

"Just what kind of person do you take me for?" Uncle Yuann immediately jumped in indignation. "I’m old enough to be her grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s..."

"Please, stop with the grandfathers. Have you cooked dinner yet? Senior Brother should be back soon, right?" Lu Yuan swiftly interrupted.

"Dinner?" Uncle Yuann suddenly realized. Damn it, he had completely forgotten to cook! He hurriedly ducked into the kitchen. "If you don’t head back soon, you’ll be caught in the curfew."

"I’m from the Demon Suppression Bureau. Why would I be afraid of that?" Lu Yuan called out, though he quickly made his way home as well.

On the carriage ride back, Liu Lianyue turned to Liu Zhi. "Little Zhi, tell me more about this Lu Yuan."

"Tell you what? About which aspect?" Liu Zhi asked in confusion.

"His performance in the Demon Suppression Bureau, how you two get along... just anything you know about him from all aspects," Liu Lianyue clarified.

"Brother Lu is very formidable," Liu Zhi started his assessment with five simple words.

"Oh? Formidable in what way?" Liu Lianyue listened intently.

"When he first joined the Demon Suppression Bureau, he hadn’t even reached the Eighth Grade. That was just over ten days ago... Now, he is capable of soloing a High Tier Eighth Grade Martial Artist," Liu Zhi explained. He figured that telling his sister didn’t count as leaking secrets, as he knew she would never go blabbing it to outsiders.

"Just over ten days... His Cultivation broke through to the Eighth Grade, he reached Bone Tempering Mastery, trained in Hidden Weapons and Archery Skills, independently killed a High Tier Eighth Grade Martial Artist, and can now even forge Upper Grade Profound Weapons..." Liu Lianyue’s expression continuously shifted. She wondered, "Is he truly that incredible? Why does it feel as if I’m listening to a mythical legend? It’s entirely too surreal."

"Did it really take him less than five short days to go from a beginner to forging an Upper Grade Profound Weapon?"

"Four or five days ago, he went with me. I was allowed to sit in and listen as well, but in the end, I didn’t comprehend a single thing." Liu Zhi looked a little embarrassed. At the time, he felt like he had understood parts of it, but the moment he returned home, he forgot everything.

Stormy waves of shock surged in Liu Lianyue’s heart. Since she practiced Martial Dao and Alchemy herself, she knew exactly how much time and energy it took to take a skill from the beginner stage all the way to grand mastery and perfection. To accomplish it in just a few short days was a feat reserved solely for prodigies—peerless prodigies. Lu Yuan’s learning ability and comprehension were absolutely at the Prodigy Level!

"This Lu Yuan... it might not be long before he becomes a Grand Artisan!"

"A Grand Artisan!" Liu Zhi’s eyes widened. A Grand Artisan could forge Spiritual Weapons. Spiritual Weapons were wielded by experts of the Fifth Grade and above; even powerhouses of the Third Grade and Second Grade relied on them. Once someone became a Grand Artisan, they would instantly become a highly coveted treasure among the upper echelons, a target that major factions would fight tooth and nail to recruit.

He finally understood why his sister had offered such generous terms earlier. She was betting on Brother Lu’s future. Once Brother Lu became a Grand Artisan, the Liu Family could leverage their connection to rapidly ascend into higher social circles, obtaining far more resources to elevate their family’s strength and rank.

"It won’t be that easy. Even Grand Artisans are bound by Cultivation limits," Liu Zhi pointed out. Without sufficient Cultivation, many techniques simply could not be executed. For instance, imbuing a weapon with a spirit required a Cultivation of at least the Fifth Grade Celestial Human Realm. Advancing in the Martial Dao was comparatively much harder.

Liu Lianyue’s eyes flashed. "He is different."

"He’s different?" Liu Zhi was taken aback. How was he different? Brother Lu’s Cultivation was indeed rising at a blistering pace right now, but things would change after reaching the Seventh Grade. It would require far more prerequisites and become exponentially more difficult. Even if he was different and possessed outstanding talent, advancing to the Fifth Grade would not be easy. It would take at least twenty years...

He thought, "Twenty years... actually, that’s not too long. But what if unforeseen variables crop up along the way?"

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Yuan had completed his first blood exchange.

After a single blood exchange, the viscosity of his blood notably increased, his vitality grew stronger, and the amount of energy his blood could carry expanded. Blood flowed everywhere, reaching every corner of the body, including the internal organs and the brain. Consequently, it delivered Gang Qi energy to every minuscule crevice, deeply nourishing his physique and rapidly making it stronger. As his body grew stronger, it could in turn refine and compress True Gang even further...

This was a perfect positive feedback loop.

Lu Yuan could clearly sense the changes within his body; every aspect was rapidly strengthening. His heart beat with more power and vigor, and his breathing grew deeper and more prolonged. His liver and kidneys had fortified significantly...

Naturally, his bodily consumption was equally staggering. He burned through Essence Pills, Qi Nourishing Pills, Nourishing Essence Pills, alongside massive quantities of food.

Of course, none of that mattered right now. Lu Yuan immediately commenced his second blood exchange.