146: Zhao Qinghe

Chapter 146: Zhao Qinghe

“It can indeed be a bit cheaper,” the Elder of the Treasury nodded. “These Materials have been in the treasury for some years now.”

Wu Xian was content and happily paid.

“Are there many similar stockpiles in other places?” Wu Xian took the opportunity to inquire.

“It depends on the situation,” the Elder of the Treasury analyzed. “For example, in places where tools and machinery are prosperous, these Materials are still quite popular.”

Wu Xian understood and said no more.

If that were the case, he felt he could visit the associations in other cities later.

After all, the special pass was universally valid across all associations.

He walked out of the treasury with Xu Lu.

“Is Tattoo Bro still accustomed to the association now?” Wu Xian greeted him with concern.

“Very good, everyone treats me well,” Tattoo Bro scratched his head shyly. “It’s just that my recent research has encountered a small difficulty, and I’m a bit at a loss for ideas.”

“Oh~ tell me about it?”

Tattoo Bro said with a worried expression, “The President and Junior Sister Xu Lu gave me several normal scroll ideas and drafts, but I’ve consistently been unable to tattoo them onto the human body. As soon as they touch the body, the spiritual structure of the pigment immediately collapses.”

“Didn’t you mix the pigments according to your method?” Wu Xian asked, puzzled.

“I did,” Tattoo Bro said helplessly. “I feel there’s still a lot of room for improvement in my tattoo pigments.”

Wu Xian understood. “Speaking of which, I do know an expert in pigments, who might be able to help you find the problem.”

“A pigment expert?” Xu Lu, who was nearby, also cast a curious glance.

“Third Master Xue of the Xue Family, Junior Sister Xu Lu should know him, right?”

“Third Master Xue?” Xu Lu’s expression was odd. “I’ve heard that Third Master Xue has been delving into spiritual pigments, but I don’t really know his specific level.”

“Believe me, Third Master Xue’s level in pigments is absolutely beyond reproach,” Wu Xian said.

“Is that so?” Xu Lu was half-convinced.

A moment later, he returned to the North District with Tattoo Bro and introduced Tattoo Bro to Third Master Xue.

Third Master Xue, engrossed in his research, was clearly not too keen. The reason he was willing to teach Wu Xian in the first place was entirely because he valued Wu Xian’s divine scroll Law Veins and Xue Lingling’s status as his Disciple.

Moreover, from his appearance, Tattoo Bro indeed didn’t look like a “proper person.”

It wasn’t until Wu Xian mentioned Tattoo Bro’s “human body scroll art” that Third Master Xue finally took him seriously.

“What? He’s the tattoo artist Lingling mentioned?”

“Exactly,” Wu Xian nodded with a smile. “Tattoo Bro’s tattoo pigments are inherently different from normal pigments, which might also inspire your research.”

Third Master Xue was clearly interested. “Show this old man your tattoo pigments.”

“Yes, Senior.” Tattoo Bro respectfully handed over several bottles of tattoo pigments.

After some examination, Third Master Xue’s eyes flickered. “Don’t tell me~ these pigments are quite interesting. They seem to be more akin to the human body’s spiritual structure than normal pigments, but they are still in the Early Stage of exploration.

Come~ first formally acknowledge me as your master. This old man doesn’t understand your tattoo art, but I can help you solve your pigment-related problems.”

Tattoo Bro hesitated, looking at Wu Xian.

“Can it really be solved?” Seeing Third Master Xue’s confident demeanor, Wu Xian couldn’t help but be curious.

“Small problem,” Third Master Xue said with a confident smile. “This kid just lacks understanding of the human body’s spiritual structure. If he studies with me for a few days, it’ll be easily solved. But to go further, he definitely needs to thoroughly research the human body’s spiritual structure.”

“Human body spiritual structure?” Wu Xian clicked his tongue and nodded.

Tattoo Bro was not foolish; he immediately knelt down and acknowledged him as his master.

“Get up~ get up. You absolutely won’t suffer a loss by becoming this old man’s Disciple,” Third Master Xue teased. “Barring any accidents, when your tattoo art develops to the Late Stage, you will encounter another even greater difficulty, and this difficulty can only possibly be solved by this old man’s craft.”

Hearing this, Wu Xian and Tattoo Bro were puzzled.

Third Master Xue slowly narrowed his eyes and said, “High-end scrolls eventually inevitably need to use Divinity Factors, but the Divinity Factors produced by scroll copies may not necessarily be suitable for the human body.”

Tattoo Bro was completely confused, but Wu Xian instantly understood.

Yes, Tattoo Bro’s human body scroll art was essentially still a “scroll.” To raise the “tattoo scroll” to a higher Rank later, it would definitely be necessary to incorporate various Divinity Factors.

The Divinity Factors produced by scroll copies might not be suitable for the human body, but Third Master Xue’s synthetic Divinity Factors had the potential for “adjustment.”

Thinking this way, these two were truly a match made in heaven!

Later, Tattoo Bro stayed next door to study pigment mixing knowledge with Third Master Xue.

Meanwhile, Wu Xian returned to his small villa and began the creation of the Four Minor Gods of Wealth… in the Shantytown.

Ever since Wu Xian’s shack next door was rented out at a high price, Old Wang had been secretly observing and paying attention to the young tenant next door.

Looking at his delicate, soft-skinned appearance, he was clearly a rich young master.

But Old Wang couldn’t understand why this child insisted on coming to the Shantytown to suffer such hardship.

On Bai Shiqi’s side, after a few days, he had also become familiar with the elderly men in the vicinity.

“Grandpa,” Bai Shiqi pointed to the Town-House Chicken King draft on the door and inquired, “This must be the inspirational sketch Master Wu left behind when he was researching the Town-House Chicken King, right?”

“Probably, we don’t really understand the specifics,” Old Wang responded awkwardly.

Bai Shiqi smiled knowingly and continued to ask, “Speaking of which, what kind of life did Master Wu lead before he became a Scroll Master?”

“Why are you asking this?”

“Nothing, I just want to experience Master Wu’s past life and understand his mental journey.”

“Are you sure?” Old Wang’s expression was strange.

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have rented this place.”

Old Wang smiled knowingly. “Well, that’s good. A few of us old fellows are about to head out; you can come along.”

Bai Shiqi was excited. “May I ask what we are going to do?”

“Collecting junk, what else?”

“Huh?”

...In the evening, returning to the shack, chatting and laughing with the old men, Bai Shiqi was completely stiff.

With his Rank five spiritual power cultivation, he naturally wasn’t tired physically, but he was utterly exhausted mentally and psychologically.

Looking at his dirty appearance in the mirror, he instinctively wanted to take a shower but found that this dilapidated shack simply didn’t have the facilities.

After asking Old Wang next door, he discovered that the simple small shed in the yard was where one showered.

At this moment, Bai Shiqi’s composure completely broke down.

Fortunately, this trip was not without gain. The old men seemed to be collecting discarded scraps, saying that Wu Xian would pay them for them.

Bai Shiqi immediately realized something and decisively spent money to buy the scraps from the old men.

“Could it be that Wu Xian started his Dao of scroll using these scraps?”

This discovery filled him with both surprise and joy.

He immediately began to try mixing pigments with these scraps.

“Hiss~ are the Impurities really this heavy?”

In the past, let alone these scraps, any Materials with even slightly more Impurities would not have caught his Dharma Eye.

But now, to follow in Wu Xian’s “footsteps,” he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

A moment later, a phone call interrupted his attempt.

“Hello~ Brother Bai, where are you? I’m almost in Yaoyang City.” The voice on the other end of the phone was Zhao Qinghe’s.

Bai Shiqi responded in a daze, “You really came?”

“Otherwise?” Zhao Qinghe teased, “Don’t worry, I won’t steal your credit. I’m mainly here to visit my Junior Sister. Speaking of which, how have you been doing recently, Brother Bai?”