622: Chapter 617 This is Repaying a Kindness

He was an expert; he could tell that the young man's technique for kneading the clay, though seemingly simple, actually contained extremely high skill.

That level of control over force, that instantaneous judgment of the clay's plasticity—even he, an old man who had played with mud his entire life, felt ashamed in comparison.

A new brick blank was quickly shaped.

"Master Gao, may I borrow your small trial kiln for a moment," Shen Yan said.

Gao Shou Zheng subconsciously nodded and pointed to a small kiln in the corner of the yard, barely large enough for a few bricks.

Shen Yan placed the blank inside, lit the fire, and sealed the kiln.

Everything was done methodically.

Gao Shou Zheng stood to the side, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He felt it was absurd, yet he couldn't help but feel a sliver of expectation.

Plant ash?

Wasn't that something country folk used for fertilizer?

Mixing it into the clay to fire bricks? It was simply unheard of!

The waiting period was a long agony.

In the yard, only the crackling sound of the kiln fire remained.

Two hours later.

Shen Yan walked over and opened the kiln door.

A blast of scorching air rushed out.

Gao Shou Zheng's heart instantly leaped into his throat.

He craned his neck, staring intently into the kiln chamber.

He saw the newly fired brick lying quietly there.

It presented a uniform grayish-white color throughout, without a single crack, its surface smooth, and its edges sharp.

Shen Yan used tongs to clamp it out and placed it into a bucket of cold water.

Hiss—

A burst of white smoke rose.

Quenching.

This was the most severe test for a kiln brick.

Gao Shou Zheng's heartbeat nearly stopped.

The bricks he had ruined before, let alone quenching, would crack just from being taken out of the kiln and exposed to a slight cool breeze.

The smoke dissipated.

The brick was completely intact.

Shen Yan lifted it out of the water and casually handed it to Gao Shou Zheng.

Gao Shou Zheng, with trembling hands, took the brick.

It was heavy, with a dense texture.

He lightly tapped the brick surface with his knuckles.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound was crisp, like metal striking stone.

It worked!

This was truly the 'Diamond Brick'!

Better than any brick he had ever fired before!

Gao Shou Zheng stood there in a daze, holding the brick, like a petrified statue.

His lifetime of experience and pride had, at this moment, been utterly shattered by a handful of plant ash wielded by a young man, and then, in a way he couldn't comprehend, rebuilt.

"Why... why plant ash?" he murmured, his voice laced with a slight tremor.

"Plant ash is rich in potassium oxide and calcium oxide, which are natural fluxes. What your clay mixture lacks is precisely this alkaline metal oxide that promotes low-temperature sintering."

Shen Yan's voice was calm, as if stating the simplest scientific fact.

"It neutralizes the acidity in the soil and, at high temperatures, reacts with quartz sand and kaolin to form a more stable silicate framework structure."

"So, it worked."

Gao Shou Zheng's body swayed slightly.

He looked at Shen Yan before him, and his eyes held no more suspicion or vigilance.

In their place were deep shock and a reverence bordering on pilgrimage.

How could this be some rich young master here to build a kiln?

This was clearly a living immortal capable of turning stone into gold!

Thud!

Gao Shou Zheng made a move that somewhat surprised even Shen Yan.

His knees buckled, and he was about to kneel down on the spot.

Shen Yan, quick as lightning, steadied him with one hand.

"Master Gao, what are you doing?"

"Sir!" Gao Shou Zheng cried, tears streaming down his face, gripping Shen Yan's arm excitedly, "You saved my life! No, you saved the craft and reputation passed down through my Gao family for generations!"

"From today on, you are my Gao Shou Zheng's benefactor! Never mind building a Dragon Kiln; even if you asked me to give up this old life of mine, I, Gao Shou Zheng, would never frown!"

[Ding!]

[Random Quest 'Artisan's Predicament' Completed!]

[Quest Evaluation: Perfect.]

[Reward Obtained: One piece of Intermediate Wealth Intelligence.]

A slight smile touched the corner of Shen Yan's mouth.

This was the result he wanted.

"Master Gao, you are too kind. I need the best Dragon Kiln, and you are the best kiln-building master. We are merely cooperating."

"No! This is not cooperation!" Gao Shou Zheng shook his head vigorously, unprecedented fire burning in his eyes, "This is repaying kindness!"

He pulled Shen Yan into the house.

The furnishings inside were simple; the walls were covered with various kiln design blueprints.

Gao Shou Zheng pulled out a yellowed, yarn-bound address book from a locked camphorwood chest.

It was densely packed with names and phone numbers.

He took a deep breath, as if making a major decision.

"Sir, what you want to build is not an ordinary kiln, is it?"

"I want to restore a lost kiln," Shen Yan did not hide anything.

"A lost kiln..." Gao Shou Zheng's breathing became rapid, "Indeed! Indeed!"

He opened the address book, picked up the old rotary phone, and dialed the first number.

"Hello? Is that Third Brother? It's me, your master!"

"Stop staying in your Jing City and get over to C City immediately! Something huge is happening!"

The other end of the line seemed to be asking something.

Gao Shou Zheng straightened his back, glanced at Shen Yan beside him, his face flushed, and his voice boomed like a bell.

"Money? People? You don't need to worry about it! This time, we've encountered a noble person!"

After hanging up, he dialed the second number.

"Fifth! Does the German imported electric kiln you use have any soul in what it fires? Book a ticket to C City right away! I'll let you see what a true 'Art of Fire' is!"

The third, the fourth...

Gao Shou Zheng spent the entire afternoon making calls.

His apprentices and grand-apprentices were scattered across the country.

Some were technical backbones in state-owned porcelain factories, some were ceramic masters running their own studios, and some were already relatively famous inheritors of intangible heritage.

But without exception, upon receiving their master's call, they all agreed without hesitation.

"If the Master commands it, we must return, even if it means walking through mountains of knives and seas of fire!"

Shen Yan sat quietly to the side, sipping tea.

He watched the old man mobilize the strength of his entire lineage for the sake of a promise, and a sense of respect grew in his heart.

This was an Artisan.

Their world was very simple.

If you respect me an inch, I will return a foot.

If you grant me the grace of recognition, I will gather the starlight of the heavens for you.

He knew.

The Dragon Kiln fire, silent for a thousand years, was truly about to be reignited in this world.

Gao Shou Zheng's phone calls were like mobilization orders, stirring up waves in every corner of the great land of Huaxia.

In less than twenty-four hours, the old kiln workers' alleyway had transformed.

The usually quiet bluestone slab road was now lined with all sorts of luxury cars, from the stately phaeton to the ostentatious mercedes-benz G-Wagon, creating a sharp visual contrast with the dilapidated alley.