Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1029
"Alright." Staring at the Azure Thunder thoughtfully as if it were a fiend that had crawled out of hell, Nie Siyuan suddenly said, "Thank you for your help. Now that the source of the 'fault' has been identified, let's call it a day. Such a fault is not to be rectified in our humble workshop. I will suggest that the owner of the crystal suit delivers it to the original manufacture so that the original designer and crafter will be able to repair it together."
"Manager Nie?" Professor Tang raised her eyebrows and looked at Nie Siyuan, not sure what he meant. "Have we finished the investigation? We don't know who did this yet!"
Nie Siyuan took a deep breath. His eyelids were shivered slightly because of his fear as he struggled to say, "Whoever he is, whenever and however he did this, and whatever his purpose is, I am not interested at all. Also, a piece of advice. I think that it will be best for you if you don't look for the answers, too.
"There are many secrets in the world, but for some of the secrets, you will wish that you had never heard them after you learn them. There are also many people whom you wish you had never met after you see their real faces!
"It was reckless of me to involve the two of you into this. Please forgive me! Now, do you understand what I'm saying?"
Chapter 1587: The Mysterious Buyer |
There was nothing but dead silence in the Maintenance Department.
Although the room was quite spacious, everybody felt their chest tighten, their breath and heartbeat almost freezing.
In the chilling silence, Chu Chongjiu understood everything.
Shua!
A series of cold sweat the size of beans immediately leaked out of his forehead, which could not be stopped at all.
As a seasoned refiner himself, he knew the formidability of the refiners very well.
If someone messed up with a battle-type Cultivator, he would be pissing off a sect or a family behind the Cultivator at most.
However, if someone infuriated a seasoned refiner, especially a master Armadominus who could craft a high-level crystal suit independently, as long as the refiner offered a tailor-made crystal suit as reward, perhaps thousands of battle-type Cultivators would be attracted to him at his service!
If there was indeed such a terrifying refiner who was capable of performing such amazing modifications right before the eyes of himself and Professor Tang without alarming them, such an expert was definitely not someone they would want to mess with!
"Precisely." Chu Chongjiu breathed heavily and nodded hard. "You do have a point, Brother Nie. We cannot resolve the crystal suit's issues. Let's just send it back to the original manufacturer and invite Wu Yaxuan to maintain and adjust it in person."
Nie Siyuan sighed and said, "I'm afraid that even Wu Yaxuan won't be able to adjust it back to the original state. Perhaps it can only be done if Masters Jiang Shaoyang and Xie Anan are to work together… but that's none of our business right now. Our job here is done."
Nie Siyuan extended his arm, gesturing for them to leave.
Chu Chongjiu knew that the guy was not rude but sincerely hoping that the two of them would stay out of the mysterious, perilous swirl for their own sake. Later, Nie Siyuan would certainly show his gratitude and apologize in some other way.
Therefore, Chu Chongjiu simply nodded at Nie Siyuan. He was about to leave with Professor Tang.
Professor Tang was not entirely ignorant of the situation, but she was too young to be convinced so easily after all. She said in a low voice, "Uncle Chu, are we dropping the issue… just like this?"
"Or what?" Chu Chongjiu talked to her privately with a bitter smile. "We are now away from our home, living under somebody else's roof. The less trouble, the better for us. As long as one tenth of your previous deduction is right, it will be best for us make zero contact with such a devilish refiner!"
"However…" Professor Tang thought for a moment and said, "Why did the refiner do it? Playing tricks on the crystal suit right under our nose. Was it supposed to be a demonstration for us?"
"Probably not." Chu Chongjiu pondered for a moment and said, "It's highly unlikely that we have wronged such a mysterious expert. Even if it were a 'demonstration', it was probably meant for Wu Yaxuan, the designer of the crystal suit, and even Jiang Shaoyang, Xie Anan, and other masters of refining in the federation. The conflicts are too complicated for us to be involved in. Let's just hold back our curiosity, in case we are torn into shreds by the turbulence. After all, you have a mission!"
Professor Tang was slightly dazed. Realizing that she was going to fully inspect the Star Glory Federation as a member of the 'Election Observation Delegation' and to negotiate with the leadership of the federation, she found it unnecessary to be included in an unknown conflict.
Therefore, she simply restrained herself from pursuing any further and nodded. "Alright. Uncle Chu, let's go."
"Brother Nie, we will be on our way. If you are not too busy in the 'Ace Game' later, why don't we grab dinner together? I'll introduce you to… Professor Tang, an expert of refining on Firefly."
Chu Chongjiu bade farewell to Nie Siyuan. He was about to leave the Maintenance Department together with Professor Tang, when the mini crystal processor on his wrist was buzzing softly again.
Glancing at the light beam casually, Chu Chongjiu could not help but put on an even weirder expression.
He displayed the content on the light beam to Professor Tang. "Weird things happen every day, but there seem to be particularly plenty of them today. The secondhand units and materials that are sold on consignment in the Four Sectors Magical Equipment Center by us have been mostly bought. Somebody has purchased a whole lot of them!"
Not only did the Four Sectors Magical Equipment Center have its own sale platform of magical equipment and materials, it also provided service of secondhand goods recycling, magical equipment pawning, and commission sales.
After Firefly was docked near the Dragon Snake Space Zone, in order to purchase tremendous resources, materials, and crystals to repair Firefly, which had weathered through all kinds of accidents for a thousand years, the Cultivators on Firefly had sold a huge amount of magical equipment on board.
Naturally, the sales of the bulk magical equipment were conducted through other channels, but the miscellaneous, bizarre, and ragged magical equipment and the rare materials were often sold on consignment through the magical equipment stores in various places.
Chu Chongjiu had brought a large batch of magical equipment and materials to this place to sell them.
However, in the beginning years, the magical equipment and materials that were more valuable and easier to be refined and used had been entirely purchased.
The things that remained unsold after such a long time were either the materials that were extremely difficult to be refined and even never seen by the people at the edge of the cosmos before or broken units crafted through the marvelous technologies from the center of the cosmos that were practically impossible to be repaired or made use of.
Right now, hardly anyone asked for the price of the old magical equipment and materials that they were selling on consignment. Chu Chongjiu was already used to the lack of popularity.
Yet, the magical equipment center had just sent him a message that dozens of magical equipment and materials had been sold in a row, all of which were the units of extremely poor quality that required full maintenance, and the materials that were so rare that even the refiners on Firefly might not be able to handle them properly!
Professor Tang glanced at the light beam quickly and soon put on an expression of disbelief. "Even the 'Moon Soft Gel' has been sold?"
The Moon Soft Gel was a very special soft material, made from the soft bones, veins, and nerves of dozens of animals mixed with more than fifty different kinds of metal powder after being stewed for a hundred days.
Such a soft material mainly had two usages when they were applied to a crystal suit.
Firstly, it could serve as the buffer pads in the joints to increase the agility of the crystal suit and reduce the erosion of the components.
Secondly, it could be used to seal the crystal reactor so that the odds of spiritual energy escaping would be greatly lowered.
Honestly speaking, the Moon Soft Gel was a very excellent material. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a valuable treasure.
However, two major drawbacks led to the poor sales of the material.
Firstly, after material science's hundreds of years of development, a new gel had already been invented that could completely supplant the Moon Soft Gel in every function. The performance of the new material was ninety-seven percent of the natural Moon Soft Gel, but its price was only one tenth of the original.
The natural Moon Soft Gel was certainly not a good bargain. It was even more expensive than many 'marrow crystals' of the same weight.
Secondly, and most fatally, the Moon Soft Gel would turn into what felt like hard rubber if it was left unused for a while after it was made.
It was tremendously difficult to melt the Moon Soft Gel again, which required very special tricks and techniques. With one moment of carelessness, the internal constituents of the Moon Soft Gel would be damaged, and its performance would be lowered. In the end, it would be no better than the synthesized gel!
Ever since the big explosion a hundred years ago, Firefly had lost all its refiners who were capable of the ancient technique to 're-melt' the Moon Soft Gel.
That was why they were selling a large batch of Moon Soft Gel.
However, it was obvious that there were no refiners who could handle the Moon Soft Gel perfectly at such an underdeveloped place at the edge of the cosmos.
Perhaps nobody felt that it was worthwhile to pay ten times the normal price at great risk just to increase the performance of the buffer pads by three percent.
However, the Moon Soft Gel, as well as more than ten kinds of other materials that each had their own problems and were difficult to deal with, had all been sold. The sold items also included dozens of ragged units that even Professor Tang was not confident enough to repair and were merely being sold as garbage.
Professor Tang could not help but feel deeply interested in the buyer of the rare materials and the ragged units.
Boosted by his curiosity, she stepped forward and asked Nie Siyuan, "Manager Nie, I wonder, could you tell us the buyer of the batch of materials and magical equipment?"
"Well…" Nie Siyuan deeply frowned.
It was always strictly forbidden in the Four Sectors Magical Equipment Center to reveal the information of the buyer of materials and magical equipment. After all, the refinement and manipulation of magical equipment was a highly sensitive business. Many people did not wish for their life-saving magical equipment to be exposed to the public, especially in a place as perilous as the Dragon Snake Space Zone.
It was about the reputation of the magical equipment store. If the information of a buy was revealed for no good reason, chances were that there would be absolutely no business tomorrow.
"Professor Tang?"
Chu Chongjiu coughed. He felt that Professor Tang's request was a bit rash.
"Manager Nie, please make no mistake." Professor Tang thought for a moment and said, "I don't have any ill intentions; I only feel that a buyer of such keen sight is hard to come by. There's a batch of rare materials that I have never brought out before. I'm hoping to strike another deal with the buyer.
"How about this…
"I know that the buyer is probably still here because the materials he has purchased include the 'Ocean Spirit Gel', which must be refined as soon as possible after it leaves the special protective cabin of an extremely low temperature.
"Therefore, he must be processing the 'Ocean Spirit Gel' in a certain workshop in this place right now, right?
"If possible, I would like Manager Nie to communicate with the buyer first. I'll make a list of materials. If he is interested in the materials on the list, he can naturally meet us. If he isn't, we'll just go our separate ways!
"Manager Nie, what do you think?"
Firefly was a big client of the Four Sectors Magical Equipment Center. Professor Tang's request was not outrageous, either. After all, it would be the buyer who had the ultimate call to decide whether or not they should meet. After pondering for a moment, Nie Siyuan looked for the removal route of the materials purchased just now through the administration menu and traced to the workshop where the buyer was. Then, he spoke to the buyer and sent Professor Tang's list of materials over.
Soon, Nie Siyuan raised his head and looked at Professor Tang with a weird expression.
"The buyer agrees to a meeting, but he'll only allow one person at most to enter his refining workshop."
Chapter 1588: Priceless Enlightenment |
As the daughter of Firefly's captain, and being a skilled expert of refining herself, Professor Tang had been through many big events on Firefly, which was almost an independent world itself.
However, after she walked to the door of the seemingly unattractive refining workshop, she somehow felt nervous for no good reason.
What kind of team of refiners would have purchased so many tricky materials and magical equipment in a row?
The door of the refining workshop opened soundlessly in front of her. She was embraced by… a certain weird fragrance with a slightly sour smell.
Professor Tang had been in touch with more than a hundred thousand materials. She knew the form and scent of most of the materials in the universe. However, she found it impossible to tell the source of the sour fragrance. She could not help but feel astonished.
Even more ill at ease, Professor Tang walked into the workshop solemnly after taking a deep breath of the sour, fragrant air.
It was the refining workshop of the highest level that the magical equipment center rented to the public. The workshop was divided into two suites, the internal one being a negative-pressure, dust-free room, where the highly precise operations would be performed.
Right now, the internal suite was empty. However, it could be clearly seen through the glass window that some materials and magical equipment had been processed and were floating on the rune arrays waiting to be tested.
Seeing the materials, Professor Tang's eyes quickly constricted, and she almost exclaimed in shock.
What?
The Moon Soft Gel has been processed? Such colors, such shapes, and such splendid reflections when it is flowing. This has been so perfectly handled!
Also, the 'Ocean Spirit Gel', the 'Seven Emperors Wood', the 'Cave Sound Stone', and more than ten other materials have been immaculately polished. The extreme performance of every material has been exerted!
How is it possible? There can't have been two hours since the buyer purchased our materials. Normal refiners would have to spend three to five days considering how to deal with the materials appropriately. How could anyone have processed them so quickly?
There's also this—
Professor Tang moaned like a cat.
Isn't this the 'Super Quiet Fixed Rotor' dismantled after the explosion of the 'Planet Penetration Cannon' due to overloading? Didn't the specialists determine that it was beyond repair? I was there, too. The 'Super Quiet Fixed Rotor' was also examined by my own hands. It was utterly useless!
How? How has it been repaired, and so quickly?
Also, what is the owner of the workshop trying to do with the 'Super Quiet Fixed Rotor'? Is there anybody else who knows how to use such a rare device?
Professor Tang pressed her chest hard, trying to hold back the shock that was coming at her like waves.
If she were less determined, she would have suspected that somebody had cast a spell upon her, and she was mired in a world of illusions. How could such absurdities take place in reality?
Chiliu, chiliu, chiliu, chiliu…
Right then, blood-freezing noises came over from a corner of the outer suite, catching her attention.
She struggled to turn her head inch by inch.
What!
Professor Tang had thought that the buyer who had purchased and refined so many materials must have been a whole team of professional, experienced, well-trained refiners.
The myriad of cutting-edge facilities and magical equipment in the luxury refining workshop were prepared for an entire team, too.
However, there was only one guy who was leaning against a corner of the refining workshop lazily, one that was rather… unique and untraditional.
Professor Tang's eyes moved from the blue-and-white slippers on the man's feet, to the variegated beach pants, and then to the sloppy shirt that was usually worn by older people. The only thing that proved his identity was a refining uniform that was similar to a surgical gown outside of his pants and shirt.
Professor Tang felt an urge to stab into her own eyes.
Chiliu, chiliu, chiliu, chiliu.
The guy was actually holding a bowl of… what seemed to be known as 'instant noodles'. He was sucking the curled noodles one mouthful after another. The sour smell that almost filled the entire room came from the pickles in the bowl!
Professor Tang's brain went blank, occupied by the seemingly abundant trimmings on the deep purple bowl of noodles and the weird noise when the guy was sucking the noodles.
What—what the heck?
Isn't such foul, simple food already outdated even in this remote area at the edge of the cosmos? Everybody now takes half-fresh food whose water has been instantly locked. Where exactly has he found the old food that has probably expired, and why is he enjoying it so wholeheartedly?
What—what is this black thing exactly? It can't be a legendary egg, right? How long has this egg been kept?
Professor Tang was on the brink of collapse.
Li Yao was having a great time with the instant noodles and the egg comfortably. Although the flavor and nutrition were not so good, it was still the same feeling from more than a hundred years ago!
He remembered that, before he became a Cultivator, on the train north to the Grand Desolate Plateau, the conversation between him and the refiner Ding Yin had taken place over a bowl of such noodles.
