Douluo Continent: My plan to slay the gods has been exposed!

Chapter 85 The Changes in Gengxin City

The two consecutive "Can you really not raise prices?" statements were not only meant to defend the blacksmiths, but also angered the hunchbacked shopkeeper himself. He slammed his hand on the table, spilling half of the freshly poured tea.

"Look at this! Normally, if the stove breaks down at home, it only costs a few copper coins to fix, but now the price has increased tenfold!"

"And they even called it a 'task quota,' charging a service fee every time the blacksmith comes, regardless of whether he can fix it well or not!"

"Screw you, I'm coming to your door! It's right across the street! Did you think I had to travel twenty or thirty miles or something?"

Mr. Qian felt wronged. His furnace had broken down, so he thought he would ask the old blacksmith across the street to fix it. The blacksmith, who was usually friendly and easy to talk to, was hesitant and stammering. Finally, after a lot of trouble, the blacksmith came and fixed it, but he dared to charge him fifty copper coins!

Moreover, this old guy was actually afraid that he would renege on his debt, so he even called over two Tang Clan members who looked like baboons, saying that they would help collect the money. What could he do?

"So, you didn't want to give it to me in the first place, sir?"

The boy scratched his head and spoke.

"There's no reason not to pay someone who comes to your door to do your work!"

Old Qian, his neck stiff, stared at him, slightly angry, and said, "I, Old Qian, have been in this Gengxin City for so many years, I'm a man of some standing, I know all sorts of blacksmiths, how could I possibly renege on my debt!"

"But is it reasonable for the Tang Clan to insist on charging fifty copper coins?"

"When I offered to offset the tea fee with the service charge, these guys hesitated at first, but after the final discussion, they almost overturned my stall!"

Sometimes when you can't find the exact amount for the labor costs, it's normal to use goods to pay for the work. However, since the Tang Clan came here, many rules have changed, and the reputation of this once-great forging capital has been ruined.

The middle-aged man's face was solemn, and he sighed softly.

"This is a difficult situation."

If business in Gengxin City is impossible, it will undoubtedly be a huge blow to these traveling merchants who rely on selling iron tools.

The boy sitting next to him, drinking tea, asked curiously, "Uncle Qian, how much did you charge them for a bowl of tea that made them so angry?"

This kid, though young, talks a lot.

"Fifty copper coins."

Old Qian glared at him irritably: "Little brat, you have a problem with that?"

"Uh, no, no."

The boy's lips twitched, and he quickly waved his hand, lowering his head to drink his tea.

"Looks like this trip was a waste of time."

The middle-aged man looked worried. He was probably fine delivering the goods to the Chamber of Commerce this time. His only hope was not to lose too much money. After all, the road to Gengxin City was cut off. He could no longer do the ironware business. He could only go to the Star Dou Great Forest to look for other businesses. He just didn't know if there was still any money to be made in the fur market.

"Oh, right!"

He seemed to suddenly remember something, and looked up at Old Qian, who also had a worried expression: "I remember Lou Gao, one of the three great master craftsmen, is also the president of the blacksmiths' association. Doesn't he care about the Tang Clan?"

You must know that the lord poured a lot of effort into the establishment of Gengxin City, how could he let it be ruined like this?

"Is the Divine Craftsman's Building tall?"

Old Qian said speechlessly, "If he were still alive, he would probably still try to help, but don't put your hopes on him now."

The two exchanged a glance and spoke simultaneously, "Lord Lou Gao isn't here?"

"Yeah, right," Old Qian scoffed, "they were kicked out a long time ago!"

"What?"

"Is Lord Lou Gao really not here anymore?"

The boy stared at Old Qian with his mouth agape, speechless for a long time.

The Blacksmiths' Guild, one of the founders of Gengxin City and its most prominent figure, was kicked out of his own home?!

What kind of lame joke is that?!

"Alright, keep your voice down. If those Tang Clan members hear me, I'll be in big trouble!"

Old Qian glared at the outspoken young man, then peeked outside and breathed a sigh of relief when he found no one was paying attention.

He then drank the tea on the table in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and casually turned the bowl upside down on the table.

"That's all I can say, brother. I'm not keeping you and this little thing any longer. Take my advice, change careers as soon as possible."

Boss Qian sighed softly, "It's not easy to get by in Gengxin City these days."

The young man and the middle-aged man left the post station one after the other, each with their own thoughts, heading towards the merchant guild's procession. Old Qian casually tidied up the teacups on the table, and as he walked out the door, a smile naturally appeared on his aged face, the worry from before gone. He scolded the clumsy waiter and warmly greeted the new guests.

On the roof of the inn, a figure sat cross-legged like a statue, then vanished silently in the next instant.

"What's the situation over there now?"

"Shrek Academy is doing well. Whether it's enrollment or training, the Shrek teachers weren't very skilled at first, but they picked it up quickly. Moreover, food-type Soul Saints are rare, not to mention the three-in-one Martial Soul Fusion Skill that the Dean and the others deliberately displayed, which attracted many students to join, including quite a few noble children."

"It's just that the elite class is a bit difficult to manage. To be honest, only the few that Senior Qin Ming brought have some talent; the rest are not very good."

"The elite class cultivates true talents who will become the future pillars of the Tang Clan. We would rather have fewer but better students."

He didn't pay much attention to Shrek Academy, which was reborn in Lan Ba's body, at first. He only sponsored some of the teachers because he saw that they were busy. But after seeing some talented students and some children from noble families, his thoughts began to change.

If it were just the Tang Sect fighting against the Spirit Hall, the intensity would be so great that it would be almost hopeless. But he wasn't the only one who hated the Spirit Hall!

Tang San smiled and asked, "Xiangxiang, what about the commercial street in Gengxin City?"

"Over there, Uncle Yang Wudi went there these past two days."

The pretty girl standing in front of Tang San thought for a moment, then looked at him cautiously: "Uncle Yang only stayed for a short while today. When he came back, his face was frighteningly dark. Even when I asked him, he didn't say a word."

Is that so?

Tang San's expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered and said with a smile, "It's alright. Uncle Yang is just having a temporary moment of confusion. I'll explain to him later, and he'll understand."

"Although we may seem harsh on them now, it's all for the sake of making things smoother in the future."

Tang San looked out the window at the densely packed buildings below and the passersby who looked like ants, and his voice became much heavier.

"We have many orders from the royal family and other sects. At the same time, we also need to raise a large number of sophisticated hidden weapons. These are important means to deal with the Spirit Hall in the future."

"Once we deliver the first batch of works, the royal family will naturally transfer the remaining payment, and then the blacksmiths' lives will be much better."

"At that time, I will not only waive my commission, but I will also provide other benefits."

He put his hands behind his back and looked at the girl in front of him meaningfully: "After all, I also came from a blacksmithing background."

"Um."

Bai Chenxiang responded with her head bowed, her voice clear and melodious.

"I believe you, cousin. By the way, cousin, the Heaven Dou Royal Family, the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the Clear Sky Sect are all here."

We've arrived?

Tang San was slightly surprised, but quickly smiled and said, "That's great, take me there quickly."

(End of this chapter)