The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"Thank you very much, Young Master Jiang Xuan!"

Liu Qingyan rose gracefully and bowed solemnly to Jiang Xuan, her voice filled with sincere gratitude.

Jiang Xuan also stood up and nodded slightly in return.

"It's my duty."

With the matter settled, Jiang Xuan prepared to take his leave.

"If there is nothing else, Jiang Xuan will take his leave now, as he needs to make some preparations. The repairs should begin as soon as possible."

He needs time to process today's shock and also needs to think about how to "play" the role of the mysterious "Master Xun".

"Master, please stay!"

Liu Qingyan suddenly called out to him.

She looked at Jiang Xuan, her beautiful face bearing a rare, almost pleading expression, her star-like eyes filled with longing and exploration of the origins of music.

"When the young master is repairing this xun... could Qingyan... perhaps observe him for a moment?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Feng's expression changed instantly, and she blurted it out without thinking.

"No! Miss, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Her voice carried an unprecedented sternness and tension.

The repair process will inevitably be extremely dangerous. If Jiang Xuan harbors ulterior motives, or if any accident occurs during the repair process and affects Miss, the consequences would be unimaginable!
She absolutely would not allow Liu Qingyan to take any danger!

Almost at the same time that Granny Feng spoke, Jiang Xuan also refused decisively.

"No!"

He refused just as decisively, even with a hint of undeniable force. What a joke!
His so-called "seeking a master" was nothing but himself! If Liu Qingyan were to observe from the sidelines, how could he continue his charade? Wouldn't his secret be exposed in an instant?

The two men's unanimous and resolute rejections froze the expectation on Liu Qingyan's face, causing it to dim like shattered starlight.

She looked at Granny Feng's stern, uncompromising gaze, and then at Jiang Xuan's equally resolute expression, tinged with a barely perceptible wariness. Her cherry lips moved slightly, but in the end, she said nothing more.

She slowly lowered her head, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on her fair face, concealing the disappointment in her eyes.

The vulnerability and disappointment revealed in that instant were like pear blossoms knocked off branches by wind and rain, carrying a breathtaking beauty and sorrow. Even Jiang Xuan, whose heart was as hard as stone, couldn't help but feel an indescribable pity.

The tranquil courtyard was filled with swaying bamboo shadows and babbling spring water, but this serenity was soon shattered.

Jiang Xuan bid farewell to Liu Qingyan and had only taken a few steps out of the courtyard when a chilling snort came from behind him, like a cold wind in the dead of winter sweeping across his spine.

"Boy."

Grandma Feng, leaning on her wooden cane, had silently followed him without anyone noticing. Her cloudy old eyes were now sharp as needles, fixed on Jiang Xuan's back, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through his flesh and go straight to the depths of his soul.

An invisible, warning-like pressure spread out, enveloping Jiang Xuan.

"Stop having those inappropriate thoughts!"

Grandma Wind's voice was hoarse and low, yet carried an undeniable coldness.

"Miss is of noble birth and pure of heart; she is not someone you can covet! Focus on your task, repair the spirit flute, and this old woman will not mistreat you. But if you dare to harbor any other ill intentions…"

She didn't finish her sentence, but the chilling murderous intent contained in that unspoken meaning was more unsettling than any straightforward threat.

Jiang Xuan stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and showed a helpless yet somewhat absurd expression on his face.

He looked at the old woman in front of him, who was as wary as a mother animal protecting her cubs, and shrugged.

"Grandma Wind, it was you who sent people to 'invite' me here, in order to repair that ancient Xun."

He emphasized the word "please," his tone calm yet subtly sharp.

"If you didn't trust me from the beginning, why bother with all this?"

Granny Feng's wrinkled face twitched slightly, and the cold light in her cloudy eyes intensified.

"Hmph! This old woman has lived for so many years, what can't she see through? I know perfectly well why you've come! Repairing the spirit flute is your duty! But if you think you can use these tricks to curry favor with Miss, and are still dreaming of making a move on her... you'd better give up that idea!"

Her words were decisive and carried a condescending air, as if all of Jiang Xuan's actions and motives were laid bare in her eyes.

Jiang Xuan chuckled inwardly. This old woman was like a tigress, protecting her cubs to the point of being neurotic, in front of Liu Qingyan.

However, he was too lazy to explain any further.

Why should Jiang Xuan explain his actions to others? He came here for the ancient Xun itself, for the past buried deep in his heart, for Mr. Lu, and for the melody left by his mother... As for Liu Qingyan? The top art cultivator in the empire, famous throughout the world, so what? What does it have to do with him? He did not come for love, nor did he have any intention of currying favor.

Seeing that Jiang Xuan remained silent, Granny Feng assumed that her warning had worked, but the tension in her heart only increased.

She continued in that cold, condescending tone.

"Over the years, in the capital and even the entire empire, how many outstanding talents have emerged? In terms of background, status, and cultivation, which one of them is not hundreds or thousands of times stronger than you? They have tried their best and used every means possible, but has any one of them truly caught your eye, Miss? You?"

She looked Jiang Xuan up and down, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"That's wishful thinking! Know your place!"

These words were like cold steel needles piercing my ears.

Even with Jiang Xuan's resolute will, a faint sense of unease couldn't help but rise in his heart at this moment.

Although he had no intention of currying favor with Liu Qingyan, the feeling of being belittled to her face, as if he didn't even have the right to look up to her, still made him instinctively resistant.

He suppressed his displeasure, his face remaining impassive, though his eyes became more profound.

He looked at Granny Feng, his tone calm and undisturbed.

"Since Granny Feng distrusts me so much, let's just drop the matter of repairing the Ancient Law Xun. That way, you won't have to worry about me plotting against your young lady all the time."

As he spoke, he actually made a move to leave.

"Stop!" Granny Feng shouted sharply, slamming her wooden staff heavily on the ground, sending out an invisible wave of energy.

Her cloudy eyes were fixed on Jiang Xuan, filled with anger and a barely perceptible sense of resentment.

Of course, she couldn't give up now! She knew better than anyone else about her young mistress's obsession with the ancient musical instrument, the Xun. It was her mistress's only hope in pursuing the great path of music! This young man was currently the only one who truly gave her a glimmer of hope for restoration!
Their gazes met silently in mid-air.

Granny Feng saw pressure and warning in her eyes, but Jiang Xuan saw calm persistence and unwavering determination.

After a few breaths of stalemate, the raging anger in Granny Feng's eyes was finally forcibly suppressed, turning into an even colder snort.

She ultimately said nothing more, which was considered an admission that Jiang Xuan would stay.

Jiang Xuan understood, knowing that the other party was hesitant to act rashly and dared not truly turn against him.

He stopped dwelling on the topic and smoothly brought up the main point.

"Since Granny Feng has no objection, the matter of repairing the spirit flute is settled. However, repairing such an ancient artifact cannot be done by ordinary means; it requires some specific auxiliary spiritual materials."

With a flick of his wrist, he took out a neatly folded piece of paper that he had prepared beforehand and handed it over.

"This is a list of the necessary spiritual materials. Please take a look, Granny Feng."

Grandma Feng suspiciously took the list and unfolded it. Her gaze had barely swept over the first line when her wrinkled face suddenly froze! As her eyes moved down, her expression grew increasingly grim, and the muscles at the corners of her mouth even twitched uncontrollably!
The list contained dozens of kinds of spiritual materials! She had only heard of most of them, and some she had never even heard of before!

"Meteorite Cold Iron... three inches long, requiring a hundred years of icy essence?"

"Nine Netherworld Spring Water... half a pot? This substance is said to only grow on the edge of the Nine Netherworld Forbidden Land, and a single drop is worth a fortune!"

"A thousand-year-old 'Soul-Nourishing Wood' heartwood... the size of a palm?"

"A complete piece of the shell of a seventh-tier demonic beast, the 'Earthfire Xuan Turtle'?"

"And... 'Void Stone' powder?!"

With each item she saw, Granny Feng's heart sank a little lower, and the twitching at the corner of her mouth intensified! These spiritual materials were all incredibly rare and priceless! Some were practically unavailable on the market, requiring vast connections and resources to even find! Their total value was so immense that it could probably bankrupt a mid-sized family! Was this kid... asking for an exorbitant price, or did he genuinely think she was a sucker?!

"Boy!"

Grandma Wind suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing with fury, her voice hoarse and shrill with anger.

"Are you trying to take advantage of our misfortune?! Some of the items on this list are things even I, an old woman, have only heard of! Do you know their value?!"

Despite Granny Feng's rage, Jiang Xuan remained calm, as if he had anticipated her reaction.

He explained calmly and slowly.

"Grandma Feng, please calm your anger. The Ancient Law Spirit Ocarina is a relic from ancient times, and its forging techniques have long been nearly lost. Repairing its core 'Void' sound spirit pattern node is even more difficult than ascending to heaven. These spiritual materials are not just empty words from this junior, but essential mediums and consumables in the repair process. They are used to nurture the ocarina's body, to inscribe spirit patterns, or to draw upon specific energies of heaven and earth... none can be omitted. If you find it difficult to raise the funds, or suspect that this junior has embezzled funds..." He paused, looking at Grandma Feng with a frank expression.

"This junior hereby swears a soul oath: if any of the spiritual materials used during the restoration process are misused, I will suffer a backlash and my soul will be destroyed!"

Granny Feng was taken aback by Jiang Xuan's words.

A soul oath! This is the most solemn oath for cultivators. Once made, any violation will result in retribution from the laws of heaven and earth. It is no child's play! It seems this kid didn't intend to extort money... but the price... Looking at the shocking names on the list, her heart was still bleeding.

These are treasures that she had to empty her savings over the years and use her vast network of connections to acquire!

In the end, his concern for Liu Qingyan outweighed his heartache.

Grandma Wind gritted her teeth and practically squeezed out a few words.

"Fine! I'll get it for you! But if I find out you've wasted even the slightest bit or hoarded anything..." The threatening words were left unsaid, but the cold look in her eyes said it all.

"Don't worry, Mother-in-law. When it comes to restoring ancient artifacts, spiritual materials are the foundation. How could I, a junior, dare to treat this lightly?"

Jiang Xuan cupped his hands in a gesture of acceptance.

With the matter of the spiritual materials settled, Jiang Xuan changed the subject, revealing a perfectly timed smile, tinged with the shrewdness of a businessman.

“Spiritual materials are the foundation of restoration, but the restoration itself… consumes a great deal of mental and physical energy. I wonder, Granny Feng, how much do you intend to pay my master for ‘finding a master’?”

"reward?!"

The anger that Granny Feng had just suppressed suddenly flared up again!
She could feel her temples throbbing! This kid, not content with extorting an exorbitant price for spiritual materials, dared to ask for payment?! Did he really think she was some kind of sucker running a charity?!
Her chest heaved with anger, her wooden cane thumping on the ground as she glared at Jiang Xuan, her hoarse voice filled with barely suppressed roars.

"Kid! Don't go too far! Aren't those spiritual materials worth enough to cover your reward?!"

Jiang Xuan seemed startled by Granny Feng's anger, and quickly waved his hand, looking both "fearful" and "innocent".

"Grandma, you've misunderstood! You've misunderstood! Those spiritual materials are consumables for the repair, necessary costs, not the reward itself! My master is a man of high moral character and never covets other people's money, but repairing such a divine object requires a lot of effort and energy, so it's only reasonable and justified to charge a certain fee for his hard work, isn't it?"

Seeing that Granny Feng's face was ashen and she might explode at any moment, he quickly added.

"Of course, my master also said that considering Lady Liu's passion for music, this is an elegant matter. As for the reward... it is up to you, Granny Feng, to decide! No matter how much, I will explain it to my master when I return, and my master will surely understand Lady Liu's difficulties."

He spoke very eloquently, both delegating the decision-making power to Granny Feng and implying that he would intercede on her behalf, making him appear exceptionally "reasonable".

Granny Feng was taken aback by Jiang Xuan's seemingly humble but actually strategic maneuver of retreating to advance.

Her anger subsided slightly, and she looked at Jiang Xuan suspiciously, thinking that this kid had finally become sensible and knew when to stop.

Let her set the price? Hmph, isn't that her decision? Just give her a few hundred gold coins as a token gesture…

She was about to say a number when Jiang Xuan, as if talking to himself or reminding her, slowly added a sentence.

"However... my master also mentioned that if it is an ordinary item, he will repair it as he pleases, and it is common for him not to charge a penny."

But something as almost divine as the Ancient Spirit Ocarina, with its insanely difficult repair process… if he were to personally handle it, the mental and physical exertion required… a mere ten thousand gold coins wouldn't even be a fraction of that…”

"How much?! Ten thousand gold coins?!"

The anger that Granny Feng had just suppressed erupted like a volcano!
She simply couldn't believe her ears!
She thought the other party would at most ask for a few hundred or a thousand, but this kid casually quoted an astronomical figure! Ten thousand gold coins?! That's enough to buy ten of the most luxurious mansions in the most prosperous area of ​​Yanxia City! Enough for an ordinary family to squander for several generations!

"You little brat! You're asking for it!"

Granny Feng, enraged, suddenly raised her withered hand, and a terrifying spiritual pressure instantly locked onto Jiang Xuan, as if the air in the entire courtyard had frozen! (End of Chapter)