NOVEL WEB Chapter 34: Meeting the Master
The attendant reported, "Sir, there's noteworthy news today, something has been marked."
"Oh? What could be so important to warrant a marking? Was it a young one from a prominent family whose spirit power awakened with a mutation?" the Lord asked with interest.
The attendant lowered his head slightly. "No, sir. It concerns a new student's registration at the East City Green Leaf Junior Spirit Master Academy. The materials recorded have been marked."
"Innate full spirit power?" A gleam flashed in the Lord's eyes as he inquired.
The attendant hesitated, "Uh... no."
Frowning, the Lord asked again, "A mutation in the spirit, of exceptionally high quality?"
"Also... not that," the attendant replied, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
Hearing this, the Lord was displeased. "Then why has he been marked?"
The attendant held a document, its corners marked, above his head with both hands before presenting it to the Lord. Gathering his courage, he whispered, "Because his spirit power advancement speed is considerably faster than normal."
Upon hearing this, the Lord's initially stern expression eased slightly. He took the document and examined it swiftly.
As he read, his brows furrowed once more.
Swiftly scanning the lines of text, the Lord set the document aside without a trace of emotion and eyed the attendant, speaking with a voice as flat as the plains, "A mere 'Blue Silver Grass' martial spirit, drawing attention simply because the abundance of 'Blue Silver Grass' in the environment inadvertently creates a 'mimicry cultivation environment'? Is this truly worth such interest?"
"Didn't you see? Did the boy mention that someone from the [Spirit Hall] went to verify it?"
"Three days have passed, surely you've tried to verify it yourselves by now. What were the findings?"
Three questions in rapid succession, the Lord's sharp gaze fixed on the attendant.
The attendant swallowed softly, lowering his voice slightly, and replied cautiously, "My Lord, it has been verified. Indeed, there are many 'Blue Silver Grass' in that boy's home and village. If a spirit master with a 'Blue Silver Grass' martial spirit were to train in such an environment, it would logically enhance their speed..."
"Since we have yet to find a suitable 'Blue Silver Grass' martial spirit master, we cannot estimate the exact acceleration efficiency. However, we have begun searching around the capital..."
"Hold on~" The Lord raised a hand to interrupt, "Are you perhaps planning to cultivate 'Blue Silver Grass' elsewhere and have the found 'Blue Silver Grass' martial spirit master train there to verify?"
"Uh—" The attendant was at a loss for words.
Seeing this, the Lord shook his head, decisively ordering, "Let the matter drop here."
"My Lord?" The attendant, puzzled, argued, "If it truly accelerates the cultivation speed of 'Blue Silver Grass' martial spirit masters, then you could cultivate a dedicated group, at least to obtain their first spirit ring and become full spirit masters..."
"First spirit ring? 'Blue Silver Grass'?" The Lord scoffed, "Are you afraid of a Blue Silver Bind?"
"Indeed, while this might train some Spirit Masters, the return on investment is questionable!"
The lord spoke, a shrewd confidence emanating from his expression.
He had considered the servant's perspective earlier, but in his position, he naturally knew how slim the chances were of the Blue Silver Grass Spirit yielding innate spirit power.
If they truly expended resources to create a 'Blue Silver Grass Mimicry Training Environment' and scoured for individuals with the potential for spirit power among Blue Silver Grass Spirit possessors, how many years would it take to see the expected returns?
On the current Douluo Continent, only top-tier forces like the Spirit Hall and the two great empires had the time and foundation to wait for such fruits to ripen.
…
Unaware of the above conversation, Ling Yi had nonetheless contemplated the matter.
He compared his current situation with that of the noble figures in the duchy, akin to a small pancake stall versus a Fortune 500 company from his past life.
Chairman: "Hmm."
Secretary: "Chairman, shouldn't we acquire the sauce recipe?"
Chairman: "What's the rush? There are countless recipes out there; should we buy them all? Besides, what price is reasonable for a recipe patent? Too little, they won't sell; too much, we'd be fools."
"Secretary: 'Then—?'"
'Chairman: "What's all this 'then'? That's the plan. Are you worried that if his pancake stall goes public, the pancake prices will go up?'"
'If he truly has potential, once he develops to a certain extent, we'll just invest directly and bring him into our group."'
...
In the city of Mu Plant, on Anfang Street in the southern district, stands the Jin Geng Blacksmith Shop.
In the bustling street, Ling Yi looked up at the large sign above, then lowered his gaze to survey the expansive shopfront.
Taking the letter Master Jiang had given him from his bosom, he held it in his hand, ensuring it wouldn't be easily overlooked, before stepping into the doorway of Jin Geng Blacksmith Shop.
If this were one of those clichéd, face-slapping novels, Ling Yi might have hidden the letter, dressed in garments claiming to be carefree but really quite tattered, marched inside, demanding someone specific, only to be looked down upon and slighted by the shop assistants. Retorts would follow, leading to conflicts, with a managerial figure appearing, exchanges of sharp words, unexpected statements... and finally, he'd present the letter...
Fortunately, Ling Yi wasn't following the path of the arrogant or flamboyant; he was about the steady approach.
He took the letter out directly, placed it in the most conspicuous spot. Ling Yi was merely a child delivering a letter for a blacksmith master who had long left his sect.
After all, Master Jiang had been away for years and hadn't mentioned anything about his past relationships during his apprenticeship. Ling Yi was completely in the dark about it.'
Despite being nearly fifty, the blacksmith is still only of intermediate skill, suggesting that his talent in forging is rather average. One might even wonder if Old Master Jin Gang, one of the "Three Great Craftsmen," would remember such a dull disciple, which could lead to an awkward situation.~
“Excuse me, young man, who are you looking for?”
As Ling Yi stepped into the smithy, a young man dressed in a sleeveless tunic immediately approached him with a friendly inquiry.
The young man's tone was kind, and he wore a gentle smile.
Noticing the letter in Ling Yi's hand and the uniform of the Green Leaf Junior Spirit Academy he was wearing, Ling Yi maintained an unruffled demeanor and a sweet smile on his face:
“Hello, sir. I come from Beikou River Town, and I'm here to deliver a letter from Master Jiang, our town's blacksmith, to Old Master Jin.”
His words were clear and concise, complementing his crisp white-and-green uniform and his naturally likeable face. The young man took a couple of steps forward, leaned slightly toward Ling Yi, and asked with a smile:
“Oh? Master Jiang from Beikou River Town? Could you tell me Master Jiang's full name? And what about you, young man? What's your name?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Yi slightly retracted the hand holding the letter, showing a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he politely replied, “Master Jiang's full name is Jiang Kai, and I'm Ling Yi... Sir, may I meet Old Master Jin to give him the letter?”
“Jiang Kai, is it?” The young man maintained his smile upon seeing Ling Yi's demeanor. After a moment of internal reflection, realizing he hadn't heard the name before, he said to Ling Yi, “I'm sorry. I haven't heard of that name, young man…”
Ling Yi's clear eyes widened slightly, “Then…”
“Don't rush~” The young man waved his hand and pointed to a corner of the blacksmith shop. "Please sit over there for a moment. I'll ask my senior brother. He has been with the master for over twenty years and should know Master Jiang Kai you mentioned..."
With that, he led Ling Yi to a resting area for guests.
After Ling Yi sat down, the young man poured him a cup of cool tea, greeted the other youths and teenagers in the shop, smiled at Ling Yi once more, and then turned and headed towards the courtyard at the back of the shop.
(End of Chapter)
