Ge Zheng inquired with Old Hans next door and learned that to the north of Wangshan City, past the Fatworm Desert, were the three grand duchies—Yaga, Muris, and Seljin—all under the powerful Osta Empire. Each of the three capital cities boasted a population of tens of thousands, with significantly better business than Wangshan City. However, opening a store in any of these duchy capitals would cost at least thirty thousand gold coins. Ge Zheng's goal was to amass thirty thousand gold coins and then leave Wangshan City.
Ge Zheng specialized in magic weapons, also selling some potions. Old Hans primarily sold scrolls and protective gear, and the two got along well, not encroaching on each other's business.
His magic weapons had low production costs and were priced slightly cheaper than others, so business naturally thrived. His reputation grew, attracting some high-end clients. Some larger mercenary groups passing through Wangshan City, looking to replenish higher-grade magic weapons, also led him to produce some enchanted weaponry, with a few magical items and very few magical weapons.
Enchanted weapons were profitable, with costs not too high, and some buyers were delighted, eager to have weapons stamped with Ge Zheng's Tai Chi emblem. When these weapons left Wangshan City, they could easily be sold for eight hundred gold coins in the five major cities across the continent.
Magic crystal stones were expensive, even low-grade ones were worth ten gold coins for a standard-size piece. With one of these enchantments, countless gold coins could be saved.
Before sunset, a team of adventurers entered Wangshan City. The heavily-built Bear Orc wore a massive meteor hammer on his waist, a sight to be feared. The slender figure of the Demon Warrior was clad in armor and a purple cape, indicating extraordinary strength. A female elf archer, and a slender mage were also part of the group.
The archer carried a longbow slung across her back, wrapped with four silver threads—this was the emblem of a certified Level 4 archer. Just like other professions, archers were divided into twelve levels, and besides the professional association certification, the accreditation by the Elder Council of the Elven Forest was also recognized across the continent, though it was harder to obtain. Elf archers were very popular on the continent.
Her companion was also of high level, with the certification badge of a Level 6 Warrior displayed. The Bear Orc Berserker had reached Level 5, but in a berserk state, he could even unleash a strength two levels higher than his own. Only the mage, dressed in a black robe, did not have any visible certification badge or magic staff, but given that he was with these powerful individuals, his capabilities were beyond question.
Their arrival in Wangshan City immediately drew attention. The fact that they entered from the south gate meant that they were not adventurers heading from the northern continent, but rather returning from an adventure in the Lacewing Mountain Range.
However, seeing them empty-handed, it seemed like they had encountered some setbacks. Being able to frustrate such a team, the residents of Wangshan City began to speculate: has some powerful monster appeared in the Fringe Mountains again?
The delicate-featured elven girl, with long green hair and a charming smile, inquired all the way, "Who is the best alchemist in the city?" Soon someone pointed to Ge Zheng's flagpole and told her, "See, follow that flagpole, that's his sign."
The members of the team looked up and saw a tall flagpole hanging a piece of cloth with two large characters written on it: Ge Men. A hint of satisfaction flashed in the eyes of the demon warrior hidden under the long hair, "Emma, this alchemist's sign is unusual, he must have some strength." The elven girl pretended to be thoughtful as she stroked her chin, "Well then, let's go and try our luck."
The human mage expressed some concerns, "He won't reveal our secret, will he?" A cold light flashed behind the long hair of the demon warrior, "If he dares to reveal our secret, my blood-soaked blade will definitely not spare him!" The words revealed boundless confidence. Surprisingly, the bear clan berserker took a mild tone, "Saniel, don't always think about killing, the supreme shaman teaches us that violence is only a means of survival, not the entirety of survival."
If someone nearby heard such gentle words from a bear person, towering over two meters tall like a small mountain, it's likely their jaw would drop.
However, his teammates were obviously used to it. The frail magician rolled his eyes and said, "Powell, I respect your faith, but the supreme shaman's teaching is to control your bad temper, not to discard the characteristics of male creatures!" Powell, the bear clan berserker, obviously understood his teammates' temper and didn't mind such taunting. He grinned, showing his huge bear jaws, "Say whatever you want, anyway, the high priest of Delson has personally praised me as the most devout follower of the supreme shaman!"
The High Priest of Beimon is not a person's name, but a position. The orcs believe in the supreme shaman, their highest god being "Saman the High Shaman." After thousands of years of ethnic integration, the six major races - humans, orcs, beasts, dwarves, elves, and dragons live mixed in various parts of the world. The religions of each race are also spread throughout the continent. Almost every city has a shamans temple of the supreme shaman, and Wangshan City is no exception, but the number of orcs residing there is not large, and the temple is not thriving.
The Supreme Shaman religion divides the cities on the continent into five levels, corresponding to which the temples in the cities are also classified into five levels. The highest level is the first-level temple, and the priest in charge of the temple is called the "Beimon High Priest." The one-level lower second-level temple is headed by the "Golden Scale High Priest," and so on, including the Mammoth, Iron Rhino, and Sword Tiger High Priests. Wangshan City belongs to a level five city, with only one Sword Tiger High Priest presiding.
Delson City is one of the five major cities on the Starry Sky Continent, so the Grand Priest of Delson Temple is a Beimon High Priest. Powell's ability to receive praise from a Beimon High Priest is not surprising.
While speaking, they had arrived at Ge Zheng's alchemy store. The sun had set, and Ge Zheng was ready to close the shop. Four figures of different sizes cast shadows at the door.
After wandering around the alchemy store, Saniel stopped under the "Beheader Broadblade." "Great sword!" he exclaimed, and the others' hopes soared. "What, Saniel, do you want to buy it? Tut, three thousand gold coins, anything you lay your eyes on here isn’t cheap," the elven beauty looked at the price and shook her head. Saniel stood under the sword for a long time and finally averted his gaze, "Skilled in martial arts, must not be distracted. If I change to this magic sword, I will never be able to excel in martial arts."
Ge Zheng's eyes brightened as he understood. This demon clan was a martial arts fanatic. This reasoning seemed superficial, but there were not many people in the Star Refining World who could comprehend it.
"Boss." Obviously, the sweet smile of the elven girl made her responsible for all foreign affairs of the small team. Emma knew this was an inevitable choice. Among the four people, the burly bear had first been excluded. Even if he is as mild-tempered as a cat, his appearance is too frightening. People would be startled if he approached them. Saniel's temper was like a stone in an outhouse, tough and unfriendly, never smiling, strangers wouldn't like him. The wizard, Duke, looked weak, but in fact, had a violent temper and would resort to magic at the slightest provocation. Although she was not good at dealing with people either, in this team, she was the only one who could 'come in handy'.
"May I help you with anything?" Ge Zheng seemed to perceive the extraordinary nature of the group and was slightly more courteous than usual. Emma sweetly smiled, "We have a commission, and we don't know if you are willing to take it." Ge Zheng nodded, "As long as it's within my ability." "However, I need to clarify in advance that you must keep our affairs confidential. Otherwise..." Ge Zheng didn't say anything more, but behind him, Saniel's palm turned, and a deeply grooved long knife appeared in his hand. Duke deftly flicked a flame from his index finger to his middle finger, then to the ring finger and pinky. Although Powell felt that this was not in line with the teachings of the Supreme Shaman, in order to match the atmosphere, he shook his fat waist like a bamboo hoop.
Ge Zheng almost burst out laughing. This small team was, well, quite interesting. That was his assessment. If the cool demon warrior Saniel knew that their performance, brimming with hostility, had left such an impression in Ge Zheng's mind, he would probably loathe himself to death.
"Fine, my mouth is magically sealed, you can rest assured that your affairs will enter through this ear and leave through this one, they will absolutely not come out of my other mouth." Ge Zheng gestured as he spoke, amusing Emma, who giggled, "That's good."
However, Saniel felt it was not a good thing at all. This kid was being casual, under our threat, and is still flirting with Emma, clearly not taking us seriously. Duke couldn't help but rush up, but the big bear beside him held him back. Duke struggled hard, his face turned red, "Powell, your fat and hairy arms are almost strangling me to death!" Powell's face turned red, quickly letting go, and apologized with a smile twice.
By the counter, Ge Zheng had started to negotiate prices with Emma. Emma wasn't sure what the appropriate reward should be, and in the end, Ge Zheng suggested, "How about this, you tell me your commission first. If I can do it, then I will name the price." Emma nodded, "Deal. Powell." They had great cooperation, and the bear clan berserker, upon hearing Emma call him, immediately went to close the door and put his meteor hammer on guard behind it.
Duke approached and poured a glass of water in front of him, closed his eyes and chanted a spell. The water in the cup turned into mist within his incantation, floating above the counter. Gradually, a fuzzy image slowly formed.
"Please, you can only watch it once. Duke just used a spell beyond his level and needs three months to recover. This water image magic is a portrayal of his own memory. But now, he can only cast it once, otherwise, he will be backlash and unable to practice magic for the rest of his life."
The image swayed a few times and gradually became clear, presenting a battle scene. Surrounding them were lush trees, but due to conservation of magical power, Duke didn't portray the fine details of the branches, only a vibrant green could be seen.
Three people on the battlefield were besieging a lizard-like giant beast the size of a carriage. The strength of the four was extraordinary, the berserker of the bear clan had boundless strength, wielding his meteor hammer, each strike forced the beast to retreat. However, the beast's skin was covered with thick scales, extremely sturdy. Even the strength of the bear person couldn't penetrate its defense.
The demon warrior's swordsmanship was bold and vigorous, exuding a decisively surging momentum. However, when the precious sword struck the beast, it only brought out a spark, unable to harm it.
The elven archer's attacks were elusive, difficult to predict. She directed each arrow at the beast's eyes, but as fast as her arrows were, they were still slower than the beast's blinking speed. Two eyelids closed, adorned with a round scale, acting like a shield, rendering the arrows ineffective.
The image was from a magical perspective, without the presence of the mage himself. Instead, frigid light continually shot out from the screen, ice spikes, wind blades, and ice dragons, coming out endlessly. However, the monster was naturally immune to magic, rendering many spells ineffective.
At this point, Emma suddenly said, "Have you seen clearly?" Ge Zheng nodded, and Emma called out to the mage, "Duke, it's enough!" In just a few minutes, fine beads of sweat had appeared on Duke's forehead. It seemed that he was forcibly casting the magic, and although the level of this magic was not high, it was quite strenuous.
"After our attacks were hindered, the Komodo Dragon Lizard began to counterattack. As a subspecies of a dragon, while its breath isn't pure, the flames it emits are still very fierce. Combined with its boundless strength, we soon found ourselves in a passive situation. To save us, Duke used an eight-level magic, Ice Prison, to trap it for a while, and that's how we managed to escape," said Emma.
"However, this also gave us an inspiration and we thought of a way to defeat it," Duke followed, panting. His breath had stabilized, and he continued, "If there is a sturdy enough cage to trap the Komodo Dragon Lizard, we can expose its eyelids and kill it!"
Ge Zheng looked at the four and said, "I understand, you want me to make such a cage. However, a few questions arise: since this mage's magic can trap it, why didn’t you wait for his magical power to recover before hunting it?" "Because we couldn't wait," Emma said anxiously, unreservedly disclosing the secret, "We must return the heart of the Komodo Dragon Lizard within fifteen days, otherwise the consequences will be dire. But Duke needs three months of recovery, and we can't find a high-level mage or warrior nearby. Seeking help after crossing the Fat Worm Desert will take sixteen days, so we have no other choice."
Ge Zheng pondered for a moment and then stated his price, "You supply all the materials, and I want two thousand gold coins." Ge Zheng wasn't taking advantage of the situation. The Komodo Dragon was an extremely powerful magical beast, and a simple cage wouldn't suffice - not only did it require enchanted lock chains, lower-grade magic wouldn't work against it, it had to use a sealing magic array, and thus it was even more difficult than crafting an enchanted weapon, so asking for two thousand gold coins was not an outrageous proposal.
Duke was enraged, "In the Green Rhino Club, the top Elvish night dancer wouldn't cost that much for a whole night!" Emma exclaimed, "Duke!" Duke responded, "Emma, you’re not from the Elvish tribe... Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Ge Zheng chuckled, "I thought mages were weak because of their profession, but it seems there's another reason." Duke turned red, “It's not as dirty as you think, I have only been there a couple of times… sorry, sorry…" Emma's eyes shot out a murderous look, and Duke quickly lowered his head in apology.
"A reasonable price. However, you have only one night, and we will set off early tomorrow morning!" It was Saniel who had remained silent until now. Although Duke grumbled a bit, he didn't oppose.
"Only one night." Ge Zheng furrowed his brows and quickly wrote up a list, "So you better be quick, many material shops are likely closing."
By the time the four bought the materials separately, Ge Zheng had already been contemplating the design of the magic cage. Their requirement was to immobilize the Komodo Dragon Lizard, and so a simple iron cage wouldn't be suitable. Even if it was trapped, the monster would struggle inside. Chains wouldn't be sufficient, and even if it were, it couldn't restrict the monster completely. A lock could be used to directly bind it, but the Komodo Dragon wouldn't willingly put its head and limbs into the lock.
In the evening, all four members of the team were back, with Powell making the greatest haul, which left the kind-hearted orc feeling wronged because people were so easily frightened of him. After huddling together, they managed to gather all the necessary materials and brought them to Ge Zheng.
Duke was reluctant to leave at first, but Ge Zheng wasn't having any of it, "What, do you want to watch?" Emma urged, "Duke, let's go, alchemists don’t allow others to observe their operations." Duke unwillingly left, grumbling, "Do we really need so many materials? Who knows if he'll cheat…"
Ge Zheng didn't bother to argue with him, and Emma, apparently confident in Ge Zheng, hurriedly covered Duke's mouth and dragged him out. Among the four, when it came to close combat, Duke was basically seconds among stones, and now that he couldn’t use magic, even Emma could easily subdue him.
Wearing the Lone Forge, Ge Zheng began the crafting.
The next morning, with bloodshot eyes, Ge Zheng handed over a wooden crate to the four. Duke approached and opened the box, revealing four iron columns the size of elephant legs. He couldn't help but be astonished, "Is this all?"
Ge Zheng couldn't be bothered with him, and turned to the beautiful elven girl, saying, "These four columns are buried in the ground and can form a trap. Once a creature steps in between these four columns, it will trigger the trap. The two rear iron columns will shoot out four chains to bind the prey, and then the two front iron columns will clamp together with a set of manacles, chaining the prey's neck and front legs."
"It's very simple to use," nodded Emma. Ge Zheng reminded her, "Because of the time constraints, this item is a one-time use alchemic item, and it was tailored to the Komodo Dragon Lizard. I hope you understand this."
Saniel stepped forward, closed the box, and with a tap of his toes, the heavy wooden crate flew up and landed on Powell's shoulder. "Big bear, take it," Saniel said to Ge Zheng, "If we can successfully capture the Komodo Dragon Lizard, we will definitely bring the two thousand gold coins." Ge Zheng didn't doubt it, "No problem."
Emma was about to leave but suddenly turned back and pointed to the broadsword hanging on the wall, "Is that really made by you?" Ge Zheng nodded, "Yes." Emma smiled sweetly, "It's a shame I can't use it. If we can complete the mission this time, I'll come back to ask you to help me craft a magic bow." Ge Zheng smiled, "No problem, I'll give you a discount."
Floating a sweet smile, Emma twisted her body and ran out, leaving behind a figure full of natural vitality for Ge Zheng.