Song Changqian trembled with rage, her face turning pale. She understood Qiu Wenxiu's intention now. He wanted to use this to retaliate against the clan for the sanctions imposed on them!
If they didn't counter forcefully, the clan's reputation in the Marketplace would surely plummet.
She wanted to accept the challenge, but she quickly and helplessly realized that no one in the shop could accomplish such a feat. Unless they called upon a Tier Two Refiner, but wouldn't that be even more humiliating?
Just as Song Changqian was at a loss, a gentle voice sounded in her ear, "The Treasure Hunting Pavilion will take this order."
Everyone's gaze immediately turned toward the source of the voice, but they were surprised to find that the speaker was a young man.
Ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd, Song Changsheng walked straight up to Qiu Wenxiu and said flatly, "Leave the materials. You can go."
"Hey, you brat, who the hell do you think you are? Scram." While facing Song Changqian, Qiu Wenxiu had been somewhat restrained, but with Song Changsheng, he couldn't even be bothered to keep up the pretense.
"Fellow cultivator, this matter doesn't concern you. Don't get involved for no reason." Song Changqian's words were polite, but rejection was written all over her face.
'Although not accepting the challenge will harm the clan's prestige, pretending to be more capable than we are is even worse.'
'If there weren't so many people watching, I'd throw this clueless fool out myself.'
Song Changsheng took a Waist Token from his belt and said indifferently, "I am the new Artifact Refiner for the Treasure Hunting Pavilion. Your request is simple enough. Just leave the materials and wait for news. The deposit is two hundred Spirit Stones."
Song Changqian's eyes widened. She took the Waist Token and looked at it—the identity was correct.
She sized him up and down. He seemed even younger than her. 'Could he really be a Tier One High-Grade Refiner?'
Qiu Wenxiu could tell from Song Changqian's expression that the young man's identity was real, but she clearly didn't trust him. 'He must be some greenhorn who just came down the mountain for experience.' However, this was good news for him.
He immediately seized the opportunity. "So it's Master Song in person! I knew it. How could the Song Clan be inferior to the Earth Fire Sect? In that case, I'll entrust these materials and the deposit to you, Master."
Song Changqian still found it hard to believe and was about to refuse, but Song Changsheng beat her to it, accepting the items and saying, "Come back in ten days to pick it up."
Hearing this, Qiu Wenxiu was inwardly ecstatic, which only confirmed his suspicion that the other party was a complete idiot. After all, the refiner from the Earth Fire Sect had taken twenty days to craft this very Magical Artifact.
He had originally planned to give the Song Clan only half a month, but he never expected this fool to boast that he only needed ten days. 'It would be a crime not to take him up on that.'
"Excellent! Master Song is a young talent, and decisive indeed. Fellow cultivators, you all heard him! Ten days! I will return in ten days to retrieve the Magical Artifact. I hope you all will be here to witness it!"
Having achieved his goal, Qiu Wenxiu left with his men, grinning from ear to ear.
"We'll also come back in ten days! We'll be sure to bring more people to support Master Song!" The other customers, who had just been browsing, loved a good spectacle and started planning to gather a crowd.
'The Earth Fire Sect and the Song Clan are going at it. How could we miss a show like this?'
Suppressing her fury, Song Changqian dragged Song Changsheng to the second floor and demanded angrily, "Who gave you the right to make that decision? Do you have any idea how much damage this will do to the clan?"
Looking at the finger Song Changqian was pointing at his face, Song Changsheng frowned. "If I hadn't agreed, what would be left of the clan's honor?
If you can't come up with a solution, then let me try. Three properties. Is that supposed to be difficult?"
"You..." Song Changqian was choked speechless.
"Ten days is more than enough time. Where is the Artifact Refining Chamber? Take me there." Song Changsheng had no desire to get tangled up with Song Changqian any further.
'Ultimately, the problem today was Song Changqian's handling of the situation.'
'The moment Qiu Wenxiu produced the Treasure Bead, she lost her composure, allowing him to run wild and ultimately back the clan into a corner, leaving them with no good options. It was utterly foolish.'
'I believe that if the Shopkeeper of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had been present today, he would have handled it properly and would never have allowed the clan to be put in such a passive position!'
Song Changsheng completed the handover with the previous Artifact Refiner as quickly as possible, then shut himself inside the Artifact Refining Chamber.
Crafting this Magical Artifact wasn't difficult for him; ten days was quite generous. However, he had a new idea for the Artifact Refining method and needed to hurry to test it...
Song Luyuan returned to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion with a dark expression. He looked at Song Changqian, fuming. "What happened? I was only gone for half a day. How did we end up with some ridiculous ten-day agreement?"
Like a schoolgirl who had done something wrong, Song Changqian stammered as she recounted how the Qiu Clan had come looking for trouble. In the process, she didn't forget to embellish the story to paint Song Changsheng in a bad light.
The furious Song Luyuan suddenly paused, asking uncertainly, "What did you say the new Artifact Refiner's name was?"
"You mean that egomaniac? His name is Song Changsheng. He's the one who acted on his own and agreed to refine a Tier One High-Grade artifact with three properties in just ten days," Song Changqian said, quickly trying to distance herself from the matter.
To her surprise, Song Luyuan's furious demeanor vanished. He stroked his chin and said, "If it's him, then it might actually be possible."
"Him? He's younger than me, isn't he? How could he possibly do it?" Song Changqian said, unconvinced.
Song Luyuan shot her a look and roared, "You have the nerve to talk? You need to learn that there's always someone better out there! Just because you can't do something, does that mean no one else can?
If you hadn't handled this so poorly today, would he have needed to stick his neck out to clean up your mess?"
Song Changqian was startled, but in the next moment, she retorted, "How did I handle it poorly? There's no one in the shop who could do it! If I had accepted, wouldn't failing to complete the order have damaged the clan's reputation even more?
And what's this about cleaning up my mess? Him accepting this order is what's truly going to make the clan a laughingstock!"
Seeing that she still hadn't realized her mistake, Song Luyuan sighed deeply. "You... you really haven't learned a thing.
Qiu Wenxiu claims that Treasure Bead was refined by the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, and you just believed him? You have a mouth, don't you? Why didn't you use it to question him? Don't you know how to stall for time?
After he backed you into that corner, how could we possibly maintain our footing in the Marketplace if we didn't accept the order?
I always tell you to pay more attention to clan affairs, but you just turn a deaf ear to everything! Do you even know who Song Changsheng is? He's the Clan Leader's own grandson!
He pursues both Array and Artifact Cultivation and was taught personally by the Clan Leader. He became a Tier One High-Grade Refiner before he even came of age. He is the clan's foremost genius!
If he says he can do it, then it's almost a certainty. Just wait ten days and watch the show."
Song Changqian was still unconvinced, but seeing the look on Song Luyuan's face, she didn't dare talk back anymore. Inwardly, however, she remained defiant...
「Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Qiu Wenxiu arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion first thing in the morning, followed by a large crowd of onlookers, eager for a good show...