Chapter Thirty-One: Cooperation

  With a gentle breeze, the beautiful girl with a thousand charms floated into the workshop, seemingly unable to bear the thick smoke. Lei Xiaodie's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she called out in a soft voice: "Young Master Zi Yu, your working environment isn't very good, is it?"

  Ye Yang stepped forward, smiling: "Miss is joking, this is a smelting workshop, where ironworkers cast weapons. How can it compare to your pavilions and halls? Come, please enter the back hall to chat!"

  Lei Xiaodie smiled and followed Ye Yang into the back hall of the Refining Workshop.

  Leaving the work area of the furnace, the air was fresh and Lei Xiaodie couldn't help but take a deep breath, laughing: "Zi Yu, I heard about what happened to you from the Huo Shen tribe. Fortunately, you're fine, otherwise I would have sent an expert to rescue you at the Huo Shen altar..."

  "Ah, oh, thank you!"

  Ye Yang expressed his gratitude in a rather insincere manner, and as it turned out, Lei Xiaodie's sincerity was also quite limited. Ye Yang had been waiting in the cold wind and icy cave for an entire day without seeing anyone from Qing Lei Commercial House.

  Lei Xiaodie bowed and sat down, saying: "No need for formalities, you are a distinguished guest of the Qing Lei Chamber of Commerce after all~"

  Ye Yang nodded: "I don't know what brings Miss to Ye's workshop this time?"

  Lei Xiaodie's beautiful eyes sparkled as she smiled and said: "This time I came, just to help you out with something!"

  "Oh, help me out?" Ye Yang smiled: "But for now, I don't have anywhere that needs help."

  Lei Xiaodie burst out laughing: "Let's talk openly, the Peng family's smelting workshop is ambitious and has signed a large number of orders with the three major merchant guilds in Liang City. If this continues, within a month at most, the Ye family's smelting workshop won't be able to sell even one piece of military equipment!"

  Ye Yang couldn't help but pause for a moment: "Miss Xiao Die, your information is quite well-informed!"

  "Hmph, and you didn't even ask what I do!"

  Lei Xiaodie confidently puffed out her chest, and suddenly the peaks trembled violently, breathtakingly beautiful.

  Ye Yang poured a cup of tea and presented it himself, saying: "Let's talk about how we can cooperate."

  "Hehe, it's simple, I'm going to give the Ye family a super order worth 1 million taels of silver!"

  "What?!"

  Ye Yang stood up in shock: "An order worth one million taels of silver?"

  "That's right!" Lei Xiaodie's beautiful face was filled with pride: "I plan to order 100 nine-grade sword blades from the Ye family forge, 3 eight-grade sword blades, and also want 1,000 sharp long knives made of fine iron. I wonder if Zi Yu is willing?"

  Ye Yang hastily nodded repeatedly, but still had some doubts in his heart, and said: "Such a big order, I'm afraid it will also require me to pay out something, right?"

  Lei Xiaodie smiled: "Clever! I just need you to help me with one thing."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Help me forge a six-foot long sword!"

  At that moment, Ye Yang was stunned: "Sixth-grade military sword? That...that is a project that only a master-level casting master can complete, Miss is overestimating me too much?"

  Lei Xiaodie chuckled and leaned in close, whispering warmly into Ye Yang's ear, "Ziyu, when will you stop deceiving me? Are you saying that the Flame Sword isn't your work? I can tell, your materials are Xuanling Stone and Cold Iron. If you used even more precious minerals, I believe you could definitely forge a sixth-grade sword, right?"

  Ye Yang sank into contemplation, then sat back in his chair. To be honest, he didn't have much confidence. Although his Flame God's power level had increased extremely quickly, boasting that he could forge a sixth-grade sword was somewhat arrogant.

  Lei Xiaodie smiled faintly, her beautiful eyes seeming to see through Ye Yang's thoughts. She walked forward, stretched out her soft and delicate hands, and pressed them on Ye Yang's shoulders. She leaned in close and whispered with a smile: "Our Qing Lei Merchant Association has brought back hundred-refined steel from the southern Miao territory, and earth spirit stones from the northern barbarian lands. With these, plus the core of a ninth-grade magic beast, I don't believe you, Zi Yu, can still forge a six-grade sword!"

  Ye Yang's body shook: "Nine-tiered Demon Beast Core?"

  "Yes! That was over 300 years ago, when a Starry Sky strongman killed a 9th rank demonic beast and obtained the treasure. It's still preserved in the Qing Lei Chamber of Commerce to this day. How about it? Are you tempted?" Lei Xiaodie asked with a smile, seemingly having already set her sights on Ye Yang!

  At this moment, a voice came from inside the Qiankun bag and Shenlong Ding: "Ye Yang, answer immediately!"

  "Oh, why, Grandfather Qin Fang?"

  Qin Fang smiled and said, "The Hundred Refining Steel and the Earth Spirit Stone are both extremely rare and precious materials. More importantly, there's the core of that Ninth-Order Demon Beast. If you can refine the core and cast a weapon with it, your own cultivation will undoubtedly increase by a huge margin. Someone is providing you with materials to cultivate, how could you let slip such an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years?"

  Qin Fang's words solidified Ye Yang's idea, actually he also wanted to take advantage of the situation, but was slightly reserved, after all, Lei Xiaodie was a girl, and might even be a virgin.

  Then Ye Yang nodded: "Good, it's settled then, Miss, when will you send over the materials?"

  Lei Xiaodie looked around and smiled: "Although the Ye family's smelting workshop is not small in scale, it can't be helped that the environment is too poor. How about this, you go to the underground secret room of Qing Lei Business Association to cast, and I'll cover your meals for three days, what do you say?"

  Looking at the smiling girl in front of him, Ye Yang's mind was shaken. In fact, he also had a clear conscience. The materials provided by Lei Xiaodie were so precious that it would be unrealistic for her to deliver them to the Ye family. Moreover, if Ye Yang forged the sword and then escaped with it, the Qing Lei Chamber of Commerce would suffer a great loss.

  Both emotionally and rationally, Lei Xiaodie's proposal was impossible to refuse.

  Ye Yang nodded: "No problem, I'll go right away!"

  "Good!"

  Lei Xiaodie nodded in agreement. This was a high-stakes gamble, and the only bet was whether Ye Yang, that young whippersnapper, had the ability of a master-level Armsmaster!

  Lei Xiaodie believed in this very mysterious young man, and Ye Yang was equally confident in his own Huo Shen Can Juan and Bai Lian's technique. With the Xuan Ling stone, Han Tie and Gui Hu's inner core, they could cast a seven-grade sword blade that could break through flames. Then, using even higher-grade materials to cast a six-grade sword blade shouldn't be a problem!

  After handing over the affairs of the refinery, Ye Yang brought two guards with him to follow Lei Xiaodie to Qing Lei Commercial House.

  Qing Lei Auction House is one of the few reputable merchant guilds in Liangcheng, and its power cannot be underestimated. Otherwise, Lei Xiaodie would not have dared to guarantee the safety of the Ye family's refinery during these turbulent times when swindlers run rampant.

  Inside the business, a row of elite cavalrymen in full armor galloped swiftly, with strong winds whistling. Dozens of knights dismounted and knelt on one knee, saying: "Young Miss!"

  Lei Xiaodie nodded: "You all continue patrolling!"

  "Yes, young lady!"

  The cavalrymen galloped away like a whirlwind, and Ye Yang couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. He could sense that each of these cavalrymen had at least reached the third level of the Great Earth Realm, and their armor and warhorses were extremely expensive to maintain. The Qing Lei Auction House actually had its own cavalry team in the manor, which was a testament to its wealth and power!

  "We're here!"

  When she arrived in front of a lake, Lei Xiaodie suddenly stopped her footsteps.

  "Have you arrived?"

  Ye Yang felt somewhat bewildered, gazing at a pool of autumn water, extremely perplexed.

  Lei Xiaodie smiled softly and suddenly opened her palm, shouting a tender cry. Her slender hands flew up, and with a burst of strong wind, she actually parted the lake water, and a faint orange glow appeared on her body!

  Ye Yang was shocked, sixth level of the Earth Realm! Lei Xiaodie's strength was actually above his own, indeed a hidden expert!

  The lake water seemed to be split open by a sharp sword, and it didn't close for a long time. That was the effect of the wind element being added. Lei Xiaodie turned around with a smile and stretched out her hand to grab Ye Yang's arm: "Come on!"

  She walked along the bottom of the lake and went on for less than half a minute before discovering a secret room door!

  Ye Yang was shocked and amazed. The Qing Lei Chamber of Commerce really had a big hand, building a secret room at the bottom of the lake. How rich their imagination was!