A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 143 - 121: Debts of Gratitude Are the Hardest to Repay (Part 2)

Li Yuan nodded, eyes showing a hint of approval:

"The high-born young master from the County City thinks everyone is greedy for that little pleasure, old-fashioned trick!"

Chao Sanjing glanced at his master's still normal face, feeling slightly relieved, his voice relaxed:

"Zhu Wulang perhaps feels that the little junior brother comes from poverty, has never seen the world, and can be easily manipulated.

But after several attempts failed, his patience gradually wore out, so he straightforwardly proposed to exchange large amounts of wealth, a house in County City, and introductions to other members of the Weapon Craftsman Guild for the little junior brother leaving the fire kiln.

The little junior brother naturally refused to agree, and ended up turning against Zhu Wulang, severing... 'relations'.

Soft measures didn't work, so the Zhu's boy became enraged and directly resorted to hard methods.

He deliberately mentioned how you, master, were oppressed by the Master Craftsman back in the day, leading to your departure from the Baisheng guild, and provoked the little junior brother by challenging him to a knife forging battle.

Zhu Wulang had learned martial arts and also carried the Firework Daoist's Quenching Iron Liquid, a rare concoction used in making flying sword Magical Artifacts, which the little junior brother could not compete with. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Not only was the forged knife cut apart, but his palm was also badly torn, nearly disabling a hand, luckily Senior Brother arrived in time.

You, master, at that time were researching the Divine Soldiers crafting method, in seclusion underground, so Senior Brother and I dared not disturb you, instead trying to shield the little junior brother."

The bellows roared ever louder, the flames inside the furnace growing brilliantly bright, radiating intense heat that made faces scorchingly hot.

"Continue,"

Chao Sanjing swallowed, his tone somewhat rasping:

"You also know, little junior brother has a stubborn temperament, the more Zhu Wulang presses him, the less he complies, somehow, Zhu Wulang found out that little junior brother knew a family selling water in Wagang Village and was interested in... their daughter, apparently he was forced into submission by this threat."

Half of Li Yuan's face was illuminated by the firelight, reflecting a cold, metallic hue:

"I've told Dog before, if you want to be a Master Craftsman, strive to become a singularly powerful figure in craftsmanship, don't get close to women!

Not touching a woman for three years while forging - haven't I reminded him enough about this? Yet not even half a word sank in!"

Chao Sanjing remained silently speechless, knowing his master had no children or family in this life, pouring his lifelong effort into the legendary Divine Soldiers.

He had no doubt that if he were to emulate ancient swordsmiths preceding the death of Dao, burying himself in the forging furnace, the Supreme Divine Weapon would indeed be obtainable.

The master would have no hesitation, willing to sacrifice life and limb only to behold the Divine Weapon's splendor!

"Second apprentice, you've managed to clearly understand the affair's context, I'm relieved.

Do this, carry out some tasks for me, ensure the eldest apprentice doesn't know, as he can't conceal anything."

Contrary to Chao Sanjing's expectations, Li Yuan did not erupt in anger upon learning the inner details.

Instead, the white-haired elder with an imposing figure maintained a serene expression, nearly like a clay sculpture:

"The fire kiln is noisy and full of gossip, surely someone disclosed your little junior brother's background, find them and burn them clean in your Inch Gold Kiln.

Additionally, the eldest apprentice's Cyan Flower Kiln order might be difficult to execute.

The Zhu family head acts according to propriety before weapons, sending Zhu Shou Rang, assuredly with confidence that I would agree.

Privately inquire of the eldest apprentice if he has ample supplies of the porcelain stones, Refined Earth and other materials he needs?

If my intuition isn't mistaken, unless I relent, his Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain is bound to fail, suffering loss exceeding more than fifty thousand taels of silver, and even losing the fire kiln's reputation!"

Li Yuan kept his face tense, as a Master Craftsman with years of experience, he not only had superb skills but also rich experience in dealing with the high-born families, understanding their nature.

The porcelain-making process is intricate, beginning with quarrying porcelain stones, transported back by kiln workers, then soaking and washing them clean using a waterwheel, followed by treading earth by several strong water buffalo, mixing mud and water into slurry.

This is sent to workshops and sieved multiple times, the sieves are woven by Wagang Village women using fine horsehair, poured into double silk bags for filtering.

There are furthermore steps like soaking sand, printing earth, shaping and trimming, glazing, etc.

Wagang Village relies on the fire kiln, each household opening workshops, providing much work for livelihoods.

Like Lu Shiping busy with placing porcelain blanks into saggar pots and firing in kilns, which is among the final steps.

The Zhu Family runs the iron ore mining operations, surveying more than three thousand miles of Fulong Mountain, fencing off a majority for themselves.

Vital elements like white bricks and kaolin for making mud bricks are produced at Zhu Family's Jingde Peak, thus almost all porcelain shops depend on the whim of that family head.

Moreover, fine porcelains when kiln-fired aren't immediately successful, requiring further embellishment or open kiln firing, going through secondary low-temperature kiln firing, then oven drying for a full day-night.

The personnel, workshops, and materials used for this all hinge on the Zhu Family.

Should relations sour with the Zhu Family, at the least the business of Lu Shiping's Cyan Flower Kiln would become difficult to pursue.

"Furthermore, probe into that family selling water, ascertain if they are colluding with the Zhu boy, or... alas, people used to hardship, let alone County City's spoiled youths, even a few taels of snowflake silver from Black River County's traders would dazzle them.

Your little junior brother's approach to matters is too naive, others show him a little kindness, he takes it as genuine.

But such kindness cannot endure the slightest test, return and tell him, regardless of that girl's ties with Zhu Wulang, if he still desires to remain my apprentice, he must sever relations.

If he yearns for married life with children and a warm bed, to lead a good life, he should not return to the Big Punishment Kiln, fend for himself in town doing small trades, and there ends the master-apprentice bond."