The Prodigies War
chapter-198

Chapter 198 Rise to Fame

The commission department was buzzing with excitement. Great Master Xun taking on a commission had made the many waiting cultivators present see a ray of hope.

They could not wait to see what kind of unique masterpiece Great Master Xun would produce this time!

Someone jealously exclaimed, “Blast it, Wang Lin you lucky bastard!”

Wang Lin was an upright-looking man and was the cultivator who had made the commission Lin Xun had just accepted.

Someone purposely countered in an attempt to provoke Wang Lin, “Hmph, that’s too early to say. We’ve only heard that Great Master Xun is amazing but no one actually knows how amazing he is. Don’t celebrate too early, Wang Lin!”

Wang Lin merely chuckled in response and did not argue. In his eyes, all of these people were clearly jealous!

One of Wang Lin’s friends could not help but ask, “Wang Lin, how many sets of materials did you prepare?”

This was an extremely important question. Failure was very common when rune masters attempted to craft aeth tools. Hence, several sets of materials were often prepared in advance.

Wang Lin casually answered, “Three sets.”

“Three sets? That’s too few. However, given Great Master Xun’s remarkable ability, his failure rate shouldn’t be that high.”

However, this made Wang Lin begin to feel uneasy instead. He was well aware that the more powerful an aeth weapon, the higher the chances of failure during the crafting process.

“It doesn’t matter. If three sets aren’t enough, I’ll go prepare a few more.” Wang Lin intentionally displayed a carefree smile. He had already begun to calculate how much it would cost to prepare a few more sets of materials.

After all, the material costs of a human-grade mid-tier weapon was not cheap.

The cultivators in the commission zone soon lost track of time amidst their discussions and more than an hour flew by.

Over this period, an increasing number of cultivators began to gather at the commission zone after hearing the news that Great Master Xun had accepted a commission.

The lucky man, Wang Lin, received more and more attention, causing him to feel a little pressure.

Everyone was waiting to see what kind of human-grade mid-tier aeth weapon Great Master Xun would make this time. Will it be as unique as the Snowfury Blade from yesterday?

Will he live up to the rumors or are the rumors exaggerated?

Ding!

A clear, drawn-out ring sounded, causing the eyes of numerous cultivators to brighten. It was the sound that signified the completion of a commission.

The crowd soon saw a servant girl hurriedly approach with a long rectangular jade box which she handed to one of the managers at the commission zone.

The manager was a thin elder with a stern expression that likely never had a smile on it. Those familiar with him knew he was called Guan Pinghu.

Guan Pinghu looked at the box and said, “Number thirty-seven has been completed. If the issuer is here, he may retrieve the item.”

Number thirty-seven?

Numerous cultivators were taken aback.

Wang Lin was also surprised. He soon returned to his senses and said, “I’m here, I’m here. I’m the one who made the request!”

While speaking, he had already rushed over, retrieved his receipt, and passed it to Guan Pinghu.

The entire place immediately erupted into an uproar!

Great Master Xun had completed a human-grade mid-tier aeth weapon in slightly more than an hour? This speed was inconceivable!

The reason for their delayed reaction was that they had not expected the number thirty-seven commission to be related to Wang Lin. After all, it had only been a little over an hour since his commission had been accepted. Who would have dared to imagine that Great Master Xun would fulfill it in such a short span of time?

Everyone’s gazes converged on Wang Lin. Strong curiosity flowed out of their eyes as they stared at the box in his hands.

However, they were soon disappointed. Wang Lin clearly did not want his treasure to be seen by others and was led to a private room by Gu Pinghu.

Despite this, the crowd’s curiosity did not fade but instead began to gnaw at their patience.

Wang Lin quickly appeared again wearing a strange expression that seemed to be a mix between surprise and happiness. He seemed to be desperately restraining the excitement in his heart but was betrayed by the unconcealable joy between his brows.

“How is it?”

“Wang Lin, can you show us your treasure?”

“Yeah, let us see Great Master Xun’s masterpiece as well.”

Numerous cultivators yammered.

Wang Lin took a few deep breaths and finally said with a sliver of admiration in his eyes, “Everyone, I can only tell you that Great Master Xun more than lives up to the rumors. In my opinion, his mastery of runes definitely surpasses all of your expectations!”

The entire place exploded.

What kind of masterpiece would make Wang Lin so satisfied and even elicit such high praise from him?

Unfortunately, Wang Lin was long gone when they wanted to ask more.

Someone gave a calm analysis, “He completed a human-grade mid-tier aeth weapon in an hour and thirty-six minutes. Moreover, from how happy Wang Lin looked, I’m certain that the weapon he received is much more powerful than the norm, like yesterday’s Snowfury Blade.”

“If so, wouldn’t this mean that Great Master Xun completed the commission in one try and has no record of failure?”

Numerous cultivators fell into deep thought.

Although many had believed the rumors about Great Master Xun to be exaggerated, after witnessing everything that had happened to Wang Lin, everyone realized that Great Master Xun had immeasurable talent in the art of runes!

An excited shout suddenly sounded from the distance, “What? Three of Great Master Xun’s works are being sold in the treasure department!? I’m definitely getting one this time!”

The crowd in the commission department looked at each other. Soon after, they began to move, creating a stampede toward the treasure department.

When they arrived, they found that the enormous department was already filled with people. It would be an understatement to call this a huge crowd.

“I am in charge of the treasure department, you may call me Jia Zhen. Everyone, please do not jostle or shove others. Anyone who causes a ruckus will have to face the consequences!”

Upon seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, Jia Zhen had no choice but to step forward to maintain order. He smiled bitterly. Who could have imagined that the three aeth tools made by Great Master Xun would be so popular?

“Hurry up and tell us the starting price!”

“Agreed. I’ll win one of the Great Master Xun’s aeth tools even if I have to break the bank!”

“Hmph? Break the bank? I think you’d better give up instead.”

The atmosphere had already become hostile before the bidding began.

The cultivators who had just arrived from the commission department were dumbstruck. This was what explosive popularity was coined to describe!

……

On that day, the Snowfury Blade, Bloodcopper Spear, and Swiftwind Boots were sold for 1300 silver coins, 1600 silver coins, and 1000 silver coins respectively, shocking everyone.

The news quickly spread in Haze City like a storm, causing giant ripples once more.

Human-grade mid-tier aeth tools were usually priced between two to three hundred silver coins. Even the expensive ones seldom exceeded six hundred silver coins.

In comparison, Great Master Xun’s human-grade mid-tier aeth tools were sold for an astronomical price of more than a thousand silver coins. This was very alarming.

It might have been fine if it was just one item, but the most inconceivable part was that every aeth tool made by Great Master Xun was sold for at least a thousand silver coins.

What did this mean?

It meant that Great Master Xun’s aeth tools were indeed unique and amazing. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to be sold for such mind-boggling prices!

All of this cast a halo of mystery around Great Master Xun and drew many people’s attention again. In fact, some of the rune masters in Haze City could no longer sit still and also began to take note of this affair.

Great Master Xun?

Who is he? How had he created such a huge storm in Haze City in just two days?

Regardless, the sudden appearance of Great Master Xun in the Rune Master Association was akin to a comet flying past in the sky above Haze City. He drew a crazy amount of attention in a short span of two days and became a figure filled with mystery.

……

After completing two crafting commissions, Lin Xun decided to stop.

At his current level, crafting three human-grade mid-tier aeth tools in succession was already rather exhausting and was not worth the effort.

Before leaving, Lin Xun was surprised when Chu Feng told him about the events that had transpired in the commission department and the treasure department today.

However, Lin Xun soon began to frown. He knew that fame had its price and did not wish to draw too much attention to himself.

After some contemplation, Lin Xun made his decision. “Starting tomorrow, I intend to accept two commissions per day.”

Chu Feng nodded and easily agreed.

After leaving the association, Lin Xun headed straight home. When he walked through the entrance, he saw Xue Jin seated at the stone table at the center of the courtyard, enjoying his wine.

Upon seeing Lin Xun, Xue Jin asked, “Kid, you’re the famous Great Master Xun, who has become the talk of the city for the past two days?”

Lin Xun was surprised, “You knew?”

Xue Jin said, “Nonsense, I’m not deaf so why wouldn’t I know? Do you realize that this will make your situation very dangerous?”

A rare sliver of graveness appeared on his face. “The sudden appearance of a rune master who has a unique insight into the dao of runes will definitely draw the attention of countless people. In fact, I can tell you that many factions have already dispatched spies to find out more about you!”

Lin Xun’s expression also turned serious.

Xue Jin continued, “Regardless of whether their intentions are good or bad, once these factions have their eye on you, your situation will become problematic and filled with unpredictable variables!”

Before Lin Xun could say anything, Xue Jin said, “You can’t depend on the Rune Master Association. There are many ways to dig out information about you. Remember, you should never place your hopes on others.”

Lin Xun was silent for a moment before he asked, “Old Jin, what do you think I should do now?”

Xue Jin suddenly chuckled, returning to his lazy appearance as he extended a finger and waved it.

Lin Xun asked, “A jar of Ghostburn Wine? Deal.”

Xue Jin shook his head. “Wrong, a jar of Ghostburn Wine every day.”

Lin Xun was taken aback. “That’s fine as well.”

Xue Jin lazily stretched and said, “From tomorrow, you can continue doing what you want to. There’s no need to worry about anything else.”

Towards the end, he had already relocated himself to a corner of the courtyard and had fallen asleep like a lazy alcoholic.

Lin Xun chuckled inwardly. He knew that Xue Jin had finally decided to act!