At that moment, a thought flashed through everyone's mind:
"Judging a gentleman with a petty heart!"
"Are you seriously just sore losers?"
"Yeah! The Song Clan has always had a solid reputation saying things like that is way out of line."
Gradually, murmurs unfavorable to Qiu Wenxiu spread throughout the crowd. And he couldn't even refute them because the facts were plain to see.
"Qiu Wenxiu, are you questioning the Song Clan's centuries-old reputation?" Song Luyuan could no longer sit still. He stood up, glaring at Qiu Wenxiu.
The voices of condemnation grew louder and louder. Qiu Wenxiu's expression turned increasingly grim. He realized that the Song Clan now held the upper hand staying any longer would only invite more humiliation.
He cast a vicious look at Song Changsheng, threw down three hundred spirit stones, took the orb, and slipped away in defeat.
The crowd immediately erupted in boos.
But Song Changsheng wasn't done with him yet. He called out loud and clear,
"Fellow Daoist, do be so kind as to inform the artifact master at Hundred Treasures Pavilion on my behalf junior cultivator Song Changsheng shall pay a visit tomorrow to humbly seek his guidance in the art of forging!"
Qiu Wenxiu stumbled at the sound of that, turned back to shoot Song Changsheng a venomous glare, but ultimately left without saying a word fleeing the scene in shame.
The onlookers burst into uproarious laughter. Those who had previously bet on the Song Clan's failure suddenly turned invisible, afraid of becoming the next joke.
One particularly tall cultivator tried to quietly slip away in the commotion, but as soon as he turned around, he was surrounded by a group of others.
An old cultivator shoved a piece of green stone tile in his face and said with a dark look,
"Hey kid, you wanna eat it whole, or should we grind it into powder for you?"
The tall cultivator was utterly trapped, on the verge of tears. He begged and pleaded until he finally licked the floor tile clean before they let him go.
He fled the scene covering his face with his sleeve, humiliated to the core.
Just then, someone asked Song Changsheng,
"Master Song, are you going to Hundred Treasures Pavilion tomorrow to challenge their artifact master?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the crowd instantly quieted down. All eyes turned to Song Changsheng, filled with curiosity.
Song Changsheng shook his head and replied with a completely "serious" expression,
"Fellow Daoists, I am simply going to humbly seek guidance from Hundred Treasures Pavilion's master not to issue a challenge. Please don't misunderstand."
The crowd broke into knowing grins.
Challenge or guidance was there any difference? Either way, this was going to be another good show…
After this victory, the benefits Song Changsheng gained were immediately obvious. Many of the cultivators who had been spectating rushed into the Treasure-Seeking Pavilion, and Song Changqian and the others were soon overwhelmed, running around frantically.
Song Luyuan looked like his face was about to split from smiling. He pulled Song Changsheng aside and said sincerely,
"Nephew, I can't thank you enough for cleaning up the mess my daughter caused.
"She may be a few years older than you, but when it comes to handling affairs, she's still far behind. If only she had half your sense, the clan wouldn't have been put in that situation to begin with.
"Thankfully, you were here today. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to face the clan… Here, this is a small token of gratitude from my daughter. Please don't refuse."
As he spoke, he pushed a delicate little box toward Song Changsheng.
Song Changsheng only glanced at it and immediately recognized that whatever was inside was highly valuable.
However, he gently pushed the box back and said firmly,
"There's no need, Uncle. The matter is resolved now, so let's leave it in the past.
"You've guarded this region for over a decade and contributed much. Just be more cautious going forward. The clan won't blame you for something this minor please be at ease."
He knew exactly what Song Luyuan was worried about nothing more than the fear that he would report the matter to the clan and get Song Changqian punished.
After all, her handling of the situation had been truly disastrous. Even if she had Qiu Wenxiu's level of intelligence, just questioning the artifact's quality a bit would've been enough to avoid everything that followed.
But Song Changsheng wasn't here to inspect clan businesses he came to improve his artifact crafting. There was no need for him to dwell on this. The issue was resolved, and that was enough.
A trace of shame flickered across Song Luyuan's face. He sighed and said,
"You're too noble, Nephew. But since this all started because of my daughter, I must do something to make up for it."
"Uncle, just prepare more artifact crafting materials for me. Please take this back," Song Changsheng replied, shaking his head. He had his principles accepting that a gift would be no different than taking a bribe.
"In that case, we'll go with your wishes. The shop's crafting materials will be prioritized for you," Song Luyuan caught on to the unspoken message and didn't insist. He picked up the box and left.
Throughout the entire conversation, he hadn't mentioned the challenge at all likely because Song Changsheng's confidence and skill had already earned his respect.
.......
The next day, Song Luyuan personally accompanied Song Changsheng to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Word of Song Changsheng's upcoming visit had already spread throughout Liuyun Market thanks to the gossiping crowd. Many cultivators eager for drama had gathered early, waiting to see a good show.
Inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the manager Bai Ruofeng peered through a gap in the second-floor window and saw that the street below was packed. The crowd had choked the road completely, and more people were still pouring in.
His face was so dark with anger it looked like it might drip water. He turned and snapped at Qiu Wenxiu,
"Look what you've done!"
But Qiu Wenxiu wasn't having any of it. He shot back,
"Manager Bai, don't speak as if you're innocent. This whole situation was arranged by your Earthfire Sect. I was just following my family's orders and cooperating with you.
"Yesterday I endured public scorn and humiliation for your sake, and now you're blaming me? What kind of logic is that?"
With that, Qiu Wenxiu stormed off in a rage, not sparing Bai Ruofeng even a shred of face.
Bai Ruofeng was so furious he nearly ascended on the spot, but there was nothing he could do. Qiu Wenxiu was from the Qiu family, after all.
With no other options, Bai Ruofeng turned to the young man sitting nearby and said anxiously,
"Nephew Cheng, what should we do about today?"
The young man remained calm and replied,
"Uncle, what are you so worried about? You think I'll lose to him?"
Bai Ruofeng wanted to say yes, but considering the young man's background, he softened his words and said,
"Nephew Cheng, Song Changsheng only took ten days to craft his artifact, while you…"
"Uncle, speed isn't everything in artifact crafting. I admit Song Changsheng has some skill, but competition isn't just about speed it's about quality in the end.
"I've examined his artifact closely. The techniques used are rough and clumsy, and the quality is subpar. It's on a completely different level from mine. I'm confident I can beat him," Cheng Xiao said, full of assurance.
Bai Ruofeng's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course. Today, I'll be giving him a proper lesson," Cheng Xiao replied with a faint, cold smile.
"Hahaha, excellent! Looks like I was worried about nothing. In that case, let's make this a big event," Bai Ruofeng's worries instantly vanished.
He immediately called over a servant and instructed,
"Go outside and make an announcement. Tell them that because the crowd is too large and there's no room to perform here, everyone should head to the central plaza of the market we'll be holding the artifact crafting duel there."
As the crowd outside surged toward the plaza, Bai Ruofeng let out a cold chuckle.
"This time, I want the entire market to witness the Song Clan suffer a crushing defeat!"
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