“Here with you?” Mu Gui Wuxin pressed the rising Qian Jin back down onto the seat: “You rest here, or take a carriage through the back door to school. As for the Lei family matters…”
Qian Jin pried open Mu Gui Wuxin’s arm, thicker than a bear’s paw, stood up, and said, “I’m going to see it too. Worst case, I won’t say anything. Isn’t Uncle planning for me to be the next Guild Master? I need to witness this big scene…”
Mu Gui Wuxin considered it, then nodded: “Fine! Today, I’ll give you your first lesson on how to become a qualified Fortress Lord…”
Yun Yuan Pulai breathed a long sigh of relief. Thankfully, Qian Jin agreed to go. Otherwise, the internal affairs of the Torrent Fortress might have become ugly. The five Vice Guild Masters had already left shortly before and had agreed to the suggestion of bringing Qian Jin along.
These Vice Guild Masters truly were shrewd operators! Yun Yuan Pulai followed behind, clicking his tongue repeatedly. He hadn't realized how willing the Guild Master was to cultivate Qian Jin. It seemed those five Vice Guild Masters had noticed it. Judging by their attitude towards the Lei family today, it was as if they had planned it all out beforehand; gone was the tension from a few days ago that felt like they were about to draw weapons and fight each other.
“Lei Guang Riyue has been dead for three months, and the Lei family finally chose a new Patriarch?” Mu Gui Wuxin strode into the front courtyard, laughing heartily, showing absolutely no intention of giving the Lei family any respect: “Which brat is it? Let me see who is in charge of the Lei family now!” “Little Mu Gui, the one in charge of the Lei family right now is me…”
Many people stood in the front courtyard; only two were seated. One was an elder with completely white, silver hair, holding a gentle silver whip in his hand. Beside him, a young man stood respectfully holding a teapot, next to the elder who had suddenly spoken.
“Lei Zhen?” Mu Gui Wuxin’s eyebrows jumped. His arrogant expression stiffened slightly, then immediately snapped back to its original haughtiness: “It seems the Lei family truly has no one left, dragging out an old man who is almost ready for the coffin. What? Did you hear that that brat Fabreidis went out to settle some personal grudges and now you dare to seek out our Torrent Fortress?” “Guild Master, that’s hardly the case.” An elder among the five individuals wearing the uniform of Torrent Fortress Vice Guild Masters—who looked no younger than Lei Zhen—wore a cordial smile: “The Lei family has come this time to discuss business with us.” “Business?” Mu Gui Wuxin’s gaze landed on the other seated middle-aged man: Lei Guangming, the Vice Guild Master of the Blacksmith Union. The real business should be discussed with him, right? With the Lei family? Is there even anything to discuss? Whichever one they fancy now, they can just go and snatch it away!
No one in the entire Torrent Fortress was polite to the Lei family. Over the years, the Lei family had certainly taken many advantages from the Torrent Fortress and had also encroached upon a significant amount of their business.
Lei Guangming felt Mu Gui Wuxin’s stare, clapped his hands, and ten strong laborers behind him, working in pairs, carried enormous boxes to the center of the area and set them down on the ground.
Bang! The boxes hit the ground with a thud that sounded incredibly heavy. A bit of dust on the ground was violently shaken loose, and faint sounds of metal rattling and colliding within the boxes could be heard from the tremor.
The strong laborer leading the way forcefully flipped open a box. Inside the dark container lay a weapon forged to an extremely dazzling sheen. Under the sunlight, it reflected a light so piercing that one could feel the chilling edge of the weapon’s sharpness without even looking directly at it.
The first two large chests were opened, each containing a battle-axe! The axe-head of the battle-axe was the size of a cartwheel; even the handles of both battle-axes were forged entirely from top-grade alloys.
Battle-Weapons! Mu Gui Wuxin’s eyes suddenly shot out with a scorching light. There were still some Battle-Weapons in this world, but Battle-Weapons that were axes were much rarer. An axe Battle-Weapon of this caliber… this was probably no ordinary Battle-Weapon, far superior to the Level Three Battle-Weapons in his own hands!
“Is the Guild Master satisfied?” Lei Guangming sipped the tea placed beside him, leisurely basking in the soft glow of the morning sun: “Both of these are Level Seven Battle-Weapons. They required the use of over a dozen special high-grade metal materials and five years of meticulous forging by me to create this pair of Wheel Axes…”
Mu Gui Wuxin’s swallowing could be heard throughout the entire courtyard. These were Level Seven Battle-Weapons! And rare axe-types at that!
“What other terms?” Mu Gui Wuxin took several deep breaths, staring intensely at Lei Guangming. If the Lei family wanted to reclaim their industries, he would agree to return half of the assets seized from the Lei family in exchange for these two axes!
“Very simple…” Lei Guangming smiled, snapping his fingers crisply: “The industries the Torrent Fortress took from the Lei family don’t need to be returned at all. I only want one person.” “Who?” Mu Gui Wuxin looked tensely at Lei Guangming.
“Him…” Lei Guangming pointed to Qian Jin, who was standing nearby examining the axes: “I only want him.” Mu Gui Wuxin smiled, an incredibly joyful smile in an instant: “Want Qian Jin? Did you not wake up properly?” Lei Guangming was stunned. Even the Wheel Axes, which could most easily move Mu Gui Wuxin, failed to impress? Could Qian Jin be Mu Gui Wuxin’s illegitimate son? But he didn’t look like it! Mu Gui Wuxin looked… so… ugly!
“It’s fine.”
Lei Guangming quickly recovered from his surprise. He snapped his fingers again, and the other strong laborers rustled open all the wooden boxes. The worst among them were still Level Five Battle-Weapons!
Qian Jin felt that if the eyeballs of the five Vice Guild Masters standing nearby protruded just a tiny bit more, they would likely leap right out of their sockets.
A series of sharp intakes of breath swept through the five Vice Guild Masters. The Vice Guild Master who first spoke to Mu Gui Wuxin spoke again: “Guild Master, trading for one Qian Jin with so many good Battle-Weapons is worth it! Why don’t we just agree? I feel the Lei family has shown genuine sincerity.” “Yes! So many Battle-Weapons, Guild Master!” “Trade him!” “Yes, trade him.”
The Vice Guild Masters all urged him on. A smile returned to Lei Guangming’s face. Even if you are Mu Gui Wuxin, the Guild Master, if all the Vice Guild Masters agree, it still puts immense pressure on you, whether you like it or not…
“Trade? Sincerity?” Mu Gui Wuxin spat a mouthful of saliva onto the faces of the five Vice Guild Masters: “How about I send you lot over to the Demon Race instead! I imagine that could fetch even more things…”
“Hard to say…” Lucifer Liushui appeared beside Qian Jin at some unknown time, lowering his voice: “Sending these people to the Demon Race might not even trade for this many Battle-Weapons.”
The five Vice Guild Masters simultaneously glared furiously at Lucifer Liushui. The Demon Princess unceremoniously stuck out her tongue, looking as if what she said was just a statement of fact.
Mu Gui Wuxin kicked one of the boxes at his feet and looked at Lei Guangming: “Take your things and scram! Or I won’t be polite.”
Lei Guangming was dumbfounded. How could this be? Before coming, he had accounted for everything. The Torrent Fortress had earned a good deal of money lately, but high-level Battle-Weapons were still hard to come by. He believed that by presenting these Wheel Axes, he could certainly make Mu Gui Wuxin lower his head. Then, with just a small concession on the price of ore acquisition…
Even if they wanted the industries lost to the Lei family back, the Torrent Fortress wouldn't dare refuse! After all, the Torrent Fortress would need the Blacksmith Union’s support in too many areas in the future. In front of the Lei family, the Torrent Fortress might still dare to stand firm, but in front of the Blacksmith Union, the Torrent Fortress was just a bunch of weaklings!
How could this be? How could this be? Looking at Mu Gui Wuxin’s reaction, Lei Guangming realized it was completely different from what he had planned. Not only was he not ushered into the main hall to be served fine tea and delicacies, but this bear-like Torrent Fortress Guild Master was today as savage as a bear.
It wasn't like this usually! Lei Guangming remembered clearly that even if the Blacksmith Union sent a mere supervisor to the Torrent Fortress, the people here would ride out for several miles to greet them, smiling and showering them with pleasantries, saying whatever they wanted to curry favor.
Today, the dignified Vice Guild Master of the Blacksmith Union, a Level Ten Axe Forging Master—a blacksmith whose skill in axes few in the entire Zhence Dynasty could surpass—was receiving such treatment.
Lei Guangming even suspected that Mu Gui Wuxin, upon hearing of his arrival, had rushed out in over-the-top excitement and accidentally bumped his head on the doorframe.
“What are you looking at? Get lost!” Mu Gui Wuxin rolled up his sleeves. Are you kidding me! Qian Jin was the next heir he had finally found; you expect to just take him away? In this day and age, was it easy to find a young man you favored?
“Mu Gui Wuxin… you… you…” Lei Guangming’s chest heaved violently. Looking at Mu Gui Wuxin with intense emotion: “You need to think carefully! If you refuse my request, then the equipment for your Torrent Fortress in the future…”
Mu Gui Wuxin felt a tremor in his heart. Cutting off the equipment supply for the entire Torrent Fortress! The Blacksmith Union was truly ruthless! Even if Qian Jin really was a Forging Master, he couldn't possibly supply the entire Torrent Fortress with quality equipment.
Hand over Qian Jin? Mu Gui Wuxin ground his large front teeth together. Impossible! Never mind if Qian Jin was a Forging Master; even if he were just an ordinary warrior of the Torrent Fortress, he couldn't hand him over! Moreover, this kid was the future Guild Master of the Torrent Fortress!
“Guild Master! You cannot be so selfish! Are you going to ruin our Torrent Fortress for the sake of one warrior?”
“That’s right! We cannot let the Guild Master be so selfish!”
“This matter cannot be decided by the Guild Master alone! We will report this to the General Union!”
“Exactly! Exactly! With such tyranny, we demand the General Union appoint a new Guild Master!”
The lure of Battle-Weapons in front of them, and the attraction of the Guild Master’s seat behind them, the five Vice Guild Masters could no longer restrain the desires in their hearts, loudly expressing their dissatisfaction in a frenzy.
“Oh, you’ve rebelled against me, have you!” Mu Gui Wuxin rolled up his sleeves and strode toward the five Vice Guild Masters: “Today, I’ll clean you up first…”