Master Chen lightly tapped the table, "Before eating, let's thank our host."
The apprentice Forgers chimed in, "Thank you, Brother Mo!"
Mo Hua waved his hand with a smile, "No need to thank me, really."
Master Chen nodded, "Line up, no rushing."
Mo Hua brought quite a bit of beef, enough for each person to get a share. While it wasn't enough to satisfy their hunger, it was sufficient to curb their cravings.
The apprentice Forgers lined up to take their portions of meat and ate voraciously.
Master Chen also tasted a piece of meat, sipped some wine, and instantly looked pleased, his face lighting up.
The strong liquor refreshed him, and Master Chen, content, asked, "So, what brings you here?"
"Just wanted to treat you all to some food and drink," Mo Hua replied.
Master Chen joked, "If that's all, we're just eating and drinking for free."
Mo Hua chuckled, "Actually, there is something."
Raising an eyebrow, Master Chen laughed, "You've even brought wine and meat as bribery. This must be something serious. Go ahead, I'm listening."
Mo Hua got straight to the point, "Elder Yu has established a new forge, a large one. Have you considered joining?"
Master Chen looked puzzled, "Are you close to Elder Yu? Acting as his advocate?"
"We're quite close." Mo Hua nodded.
Master Chen raised an eyebrow. Mo Hua, at such a young age, had some impressive connections. Normally focused on his forging work, Master Chen rarely paid attention to external matters. At most, he caught snippets from others, yet he couldn't fathom how Mo Hua had befriended Elder Yu...
Curious, Master Chen asked, "So what's your relationship to this forge?"
"All the formations inside are drawn by me!" Mo Hua patted his chest proudly.
Master Chen was astonished.
He knew Mo Hua was skilled in formation drawing, but he didn't expect him to be this proficient. Such a large forge, with all its formations drawn by Mo Hua—this was truly remarkable.
After pondering for a moment, Master Chen said decisively, "Alright, I'll agree."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Huh? Why did you agree so quickly?"
He had prepared a whole speech, but Master Chen agreed before he could even say a word...
Master Chen chuckled, "I'm not familiar with Elder Yu. If he had asked me personally, I might have refused. I've worked hard to run this forge, although it's a bit run-down and business is slow, it still supports me and my apprentices, teaching them the craft."
"But since you've asked, it's different. Aside from everything else, you've helped us with many formations without asking for much in return—that's a great favor. While I may not have a relationship with Elder Yu, I trust you."
Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed by Master Chen's words.
Seeing how easily Master Chen was persuaded, Mo Hua continued, "In that case, do you know any other skilled Forgers who could join as well?"
Master Chen was slightly surprised, then chuckled, "You really... aren't holding back, are you..."
Mo Hua grinned, "Since we're so close, why hold back?"
Master Chen laughed, "I might consider going myself, but convincing other Forgers is a different story."
"What's different about it?"
"I'd need good reasons to persuade them. Otherwise, they wouldn't abandon their own businesses to work for Elder Yu."
"Plenty of reasons!" Mo Hua's eyes lit up. He had been worried about not having enough persuasive arguments, but now he had found the perfect opportunity.
"On the surface, this forge belongs to Elder Yu, but in reality, it belongs to all Demon hunters, and it might even become the forge for all independent cultivators in Tongxian City."
"As long as everyone pitches in, once the forge starts making profits, the spiritual stone profits will be distributed based on everyone's contributions."
Master Chen was surprised, "Is this really true?"
Although Master Chen was an independent cultivator in Tongxian City, he mainly earned his living through forging and hadn't ventured into the Great Black Mountain to hunt monsters. While he did occasionally interact with Demon hunters, it was mostly related to transactions involving spiritual weapons, and he didn't know much about the internal affairs of Demon hunters.
This was the first time he had heard that spiritual stones could be distributed in such a manner.
Originally, Master Chen thought that if the Demon hunters seized the spiritual mines, Elder Yu, with his Foundation Building cultivation, would likely take the lion's share. Establishing a forge would probably follow this pattern as well.
Now, it seemed that Elder Yu, who appeared stingy, actually had a much larger vision than Master Chen had imagined.
Master Chen involuntarily nodded.
Mo Hua continued, "Once inside the forge, aside from everything else, at least meals will be provided. Though not luxurious, they'll be enough to satisfy hunger. Da Zhu and the others won't have to go hungry anymore."
Master Chen was moved by Mo Hua's words.
Although he was usually strict, Master Chen also cared deeply for his apprentices. Seeing them go hungry weighed heavily on him as their master.
If he could really get these kids to eat a few more decent meals, then everything he was doing would be worthwhile.
Master Chen agreed, "Alright, I'll talk to them, but I can't guarantee whether they'll agree or not."
"Alright." Mo Hua nodded, "I haven't finished yet, there's one more thing."
Master Chen was taken aback, "Not finished? What else do you want to say?"
Mo Hua didn't rush to answer. Instead, he glanced sneakily at Master Chen's forging furnace and quietly asked, "Master Chen, don't you think the fire in this furnace is a bit small?"
That phrase sounded somewhat familiar.
Master Chen furrowed his brow in thought, suddenly becoming alert, "Are you eyeing my forging furnace again?"
"No, no." Mo Hua hastily denied.
Master Chen didn't believe him, maintaining a firm tone, "Although the fire in this forging furnace is small, it's sufficient. Don't think about dismantling it!"
"I won't, I won't."
Still, Master Chen remained skeptical.
Mo Hua continued, "I won't touch it this time, but wouldn't you like to replace it with a better forging furnace?"
"Replace it?"
"Yes, with a larger one, a stronger fire, and higher quality—a First Rank forging furnace!"
Larger, stronger fire, higher quality?
Master Chen frowned, suddenly feeling shocked, "Are you saying... a First Rank forging furnace?"
Mo Hua nodded, "Not just a First Rank forging furnace. If we add a First Rank formation drawn by me inside, the firepower of the entire forging furnace would be greatly enhanced..."
A First Rank forging furnace with a First Rank formation.
Just thinking about it, Master Chen's heart raced with excitement.
Throughout his life, he had no other wish but to have a First Rank forging furnace—even if he couldn't own one, just using such a furnace to forge a few spiritual weapons would satisfy him.
However, a First Rank forging furnace was extremely expensive, requiring a large amount of spiritual stones for materials and construction costs—far beyond what he could afford.
If Elder Yu could really obtain a First Rank forging furnace, he wouldn't be able to refuse, especially if Mo Hua's First Rank formation was drawn on it...
After pondering for a moment, Master Chen suddenly came to his senses, then was startled again, exclaiming:
"A First Rank formation? You can draw First Rank formations now?!"
(End of the Chapter)