Chapter 413 288: Su Jian's Invitation, The Wind and Thunder Predicament! Han Feng Takes Action

He used to have to grovel before anyone with even a hint of a background.

But now?

The young master of the Su Family was treating him like a brother (though it was only out of respect for Han Feng), and a lone powerhouse at the Enlightenment Realm Late Stage was all but groveling before him.

All of this was because he had made the right bet.

'Han Feng…'

Long Xiao mulled over the name, tasting the sharp, lingering flavor of the cigar in his mouth.

He subconsciously touched his lower back.

There was an old through-and-through wound there, an injury he'd sustained exploring the Fog Area in his younger days.

This very injury had damaged his Martial Arts foundation. It had left him stuck at the peak of the Meridian Passage Realm for a full ten years, unable to advance a single step.

Every time he tried to break through, the excruciating pain that shot through his meridians made him feel like he was better off dead, forcing him to give up in the end.

It had become the biggest burden on his heart.

He had already resigned himself to his fate, planning to drift aimlessly through the rest of his life in the Black Market, just scraping together enough for a coffin.

But today…

The Purple Jade Spirit Grass that Iron Hand had produced was like a bolt of lightning, reigniting the dying embers of hope in his heart.

If Han Feng was held in such high regard by even Su Jian, and if those powerhouses were willing to pay such a steep price just for a single piece of his equipment…

'Doesn't that mean that as long as I solidify my position as his 'agent' and handle things flawlessly, I might get a chance to obtain a Spirit Medicine that can repair my foundation?'

'Even…'

Long Xiao looked down at his own hands, calloused from years of gunsmithing. He took a hard drag from his cigarette, the crimson tip flaring brightly before dimming in the dark shop.

'Dammit, I'm only forty! Why the hell should I just accept my fate?'

'As long as I stay on this big ship that is Han Feng, forget just repairing my foundation—even reaching the Enlightenment Realm… I can take a shot at it!'

A fire ignited in his long-dormant heart.

He violently stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, picked up his communicator, and began posting a message on an encrypted channel only accessible to top-tier brokers.

'If I'm going to be a dog, I'll be the fiercest and most useful one.'

He was going to make sure the entire underworld of East Sea City knew that Long Xiao, the agent for the "Divine Artisan" Han Feng, held the ticket to true power!

...

The Su Family's Spiritual Weapon Workshop wasn't located in the prime real estate of the city center.

For security and confidentiality, the workshop was situated in a self-contained industrial park in the northwest corner of East Sea Fortress City.

It was heavily guarded, with sentries posted at every turn.

The black hover car glided slowly into the park, stopping before a colossal, futuristic silver-white building.

A sign at the entrance read: "Su Heavy Industries - Laboratory Three."

If it weren't for the faint smell of scorched metal in the air, Han Feng might have thought he'd arrived at a fighter jet development center.

Su Jian stepped out of the car, adjusted the collar of his suit, his face wearing a look of reserved pride.

"So, what do you think, Brother Han? Not too shabby, is it?"

Han Feng scanned his surroundings.

Fully automated mechanical arms crisscrossed overhead, and engineering robots bustled about. Even the air circulation system was infused with trace amounts of Calming Incense.

'They really spared no expense.'

"The equipment is new."

Han Feng nodded, offering an objective assessment. "It's a lot better than the old relics they have at the school."

Su Jian's expression stiffened slightly.

'A top-tier workshop built with billions of credits, and all he can say is 'the equipment is new'?'

But then he thought about the "Pseudo Tier Four" Spiritual Soldiers this guy produced, and he let it go.

'He's a master of the craft, after all. It's only natural his standards would be high.'

The two passed through a series of iris-scanning security doors and made their way directly to the core area.

Before they even entered, the sound of a fierce argument leaked through the thick, soundproof glass, making it hum.

"Ouyang Zhen! You stubborn old coot!

This conservative Spirit Pattern layout won't even draw out eighty percent of the Wind Thunder Stone's potential!

It's a criminal waste!"

"Tie Hong! That's just suicidal!

Stacking the Blast Array and the Energy Gathering Array in a space as small as the spear tip... with the slightest energy conflict, does the Young Master not want his hand anymore?

Are you trying to make it blow up in his hand?"

Su Jian looked completely exasperated.

He turned to Han Feng with a wry smile.

"My apologies, Brother Han. These are the Su Family's two chief craftsmen, Ouyang Zhen and Tie Hong."

"Both of them are at the Enlightenment Realm Middle Stage, and their craftsmanship is impeccable. It's just that their philosophies... well, they've never seen eye to eye on anything in their entire lives."

Han Feng smiled. "Debate means they have ideas. Let's go in and take a look."

The door slid open.

Inside the spacious workshop, there was no smoky, scorching heatwave as one might expect. Instead, the temperature was cool and comfortable.

In the center stood a massive, fully-enclosed Particle Furnace, surrounded by an array of high-precision holographic screens.

Two middle-aged men were gathered around a workbench, arguing furiously over a half-finished spear until they were red in the face.

On the left was Ouyang Zhen, a stocky man in a traditional gray robe. He held a vernier caliper, the very picture of a stern traditionalist.

On the right was Tie Hong, tall and lanky. His work vest was covered in grease stains, and his goggles were pushed up onto his forehead. He was frantically sketching on a holographic screen with a stylus, clearly a tech-crazed radical.

"Ahem."

Su Jian coughed heavily.

The arguing came to an abrupt halt.

The two turned. Seeing it was Su Jian, they reined in their tempers. They merely nodded, however, their expressions remaining tense.

"Young Master, you're here."

Ouyang Zhen said, his face stern. "Perfect timing. You can settle this.

If we modify this spear according to that madman Tie's method, the shaft will crack in less than three full-power bursts."

"Bullshit!"

Tie Hong retorted, craning his neck stubbornly. "That's an issue with the material's strength!

If we used Tier Four Star Sand as the primary material, forget three times—it could handle three hundred without a problem!

The Young Master wants a masterpiece, so we should be pushing for maximum power!"