After finishing his morning classes that day, Zhou Ling headed straight to the Lu Family Workshop on West Cloud Street to deliver the three completed Thunderfire Pearls to Master Lu.
Seeing the three pearls, Master Lu finally let out a sigh of relief—tomorrow was the delivery deadline.
If he failed to provide the client with the Thunderfire Pearls, he'd have to compensate them with a hefty sum of spirit stones.
After carefully inspecting each one and confirming they met the requirements, he praised Zhou Ling, "Young Master Ling, your inscription skills have improved significantly!"
His tone carried a newfound respect and warmth.
Though Master Lu wasn't an inscriptionist himself, years of working with them had sharpened his eye for quality.
This time, the runes on Zhou Ling's Thunderfire Inscriptions appeared more refined and stable compared to the previous Flame-Resistance Pearl inscriptions—clear progress in just ten days.
It was evident that Zhou Ling had a natural talent for inscription work.
"Thunderfire inscriptions are among the most spirit-energy-intensive to craft. For someone your age and cultivation level, this is truly remarkable."
From their recent interactions, Zhou Ling had noticed that Master Lu was strict—whether with his apprentices or the workshop's tools.
He usually wore a stern expression, keeping others at arm's length.
But today, his cheerful demeanor showed just how pleased he was.
Still, Zhou Ling didn't dwell on it and asked, "Master Lu, do you have any more Thunderfire Pearl blanks in stock?"
Now that he had nearly mastered the Thunderfire Inscription, he wondered if he could purchase a few blanks to craft extra pearls for his father.
Master Lu shook his head. "These were custom-made for a client. The materials I bought earlier were only enough for six Thunderfire Pearl blanks."
Zhou Ling thought for a moment. "How much would one blank cost if I wanted to buy a few?"
"This damn heat is unbearable!" Master Lu wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and gulped down several mouthfuls of tea before answering.
"If you're buying, I'll give you the lowest price—five low-grade spirit stones for two."
Zhou Ling nodded. "Alright, I'll take three for now."
"How long until they're ready?"
"Pay a three-stone deposit, and they'll be ready in three days," Master Lu replied.
He then handed Zhou Ling four spirit stones. "This is your payment for the Thunderfire Pearls, minus the deposit."
Accepting the stones, Zhou Ling nodded gratefully.
"Right now, I also have an ongoing order for Golden Bristle Spirit Brushes from the Treasures Pavilion. Would you be interested, Young Master Ling?"
"If you take this job, you'll need to ensure consistent quality and stability."
"It's a long-term order—usually ten to twenty brushes per month."
"You'll earn one and a half spirit stones per brush."
Master Lu glanced at Zhou Ling before continuing.
"I'll take it. But do you have the inscription blueprint for the Golden Bristle Brush?" Zhou Ling agreed without hesitation.
He needed more spirit stones—both to buy Fireglow Grass and to save up for his mother's brewing cauldron.
As long as it was within his abilities, more work meant more income.
"Here, this is the Spirit-Gathering Inscription used for crafting the brushes. Take a look."
Master Lu pulled out a scroll from his storage pouch and handed it to Zhou Ling.
At the same time, he called toward the back room, "Liu'er, bring out the Golden Bristle Brush blanks!"
"Right away, Master!"
Soon, a dark-skinned boy around thirteen or fourteen walked over, carrying a tray in both hands.
His eyes were bright, and though he wasn't heavily built, his bare torso showed well-defined muscles.
On the tray were ten brush blanks—their shafts made of blue-veined bamboo, their bristles shimmering with golden light.
"These are Golden Bristle Brushes. The shafts are forged from Blue-Striped Bamboo, and the bristles are made from the tail hair of a first-tier spirit beast, the Golden-Tailed Sheep. Once fused with the Spirit-Gathering Inscription, they can be used to draw runes, inscriptions, or formation patterns."
Master Lu picked up one of the blanks and explained its properties to Zhou Ling.
Meanwhile, Zhou Ling unrolled the scroll to examine the Spirit-Gathering Inscription.
A seven-rune inscription—this shouldn't be a problem!
"How soon do you need them delivered?" Zhou Ling asked.
"Every half-month. But the success rate must be at least sixty percent."
As he spoke, Master Lu retrieved a yellow brocade box from his storage pouch and handed it to Liu'er.
Liu'er carefully placed the ten brush blanks inside, arranging them neatly before passing the box to Zhou Ling.
Zhou Ling accepted it with a nod.
"Liu'er, this is Zhou Ling—an inscriptionist."
"Young Master Ling, this is my disciple, Lu Liu'an."
Master Lu introduced the two.
Zhou Ling smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.
Lu Liu'an hurriedly returned the gesture.
With that, Zhou Ling left the workshop.
On his way home, he bought a jar of spirit wine and nine spirit cakes.
By the time he arrived, Li Ru had already prepared a lavish dinner.
Since Zhou Shan would be heading into the mountains tomorrow, she had taken half a day off to pack food and supplies for him.
When Zhou Shan saw the spirit wine Zhou Ling had brought, his face lit up—but he quickly glanced at Li Ru and put on a stern expression.
"Ling'er, this Black Glutinous Rice Wine is too strong for my taste!"
"Don't waste your spirit stones on it next time!"
Even as he spoke, he unsealed the jar, pouring a bowl first for Li Ru and then himself.
Zhou Ling blinked. Hadn't the previous jar been finished just two days ago?
Then it hit him—Zhou Shan was worried he was spending recklessly.
The realization made him both amused and exasperated.
"Ling'er, the academy's retention exams are in two years. If you become an outer disciple, the initiation gifts will cost a fortune."
"You should save your spirit stones for now."
Li Ru ladled a generous portion of meat soup into Zhou Ling's bowl, speaking earnestly.
"Mother, I've secured a long-term contract with the Lu Family Workshop. From now on, I'll be earning over a dozen low-grade spirit stones a month. Today's wine is just a small celebration!"
"This income will cover my academy expenses and cultivation needs. You won't have to save up for me anymore."
Zhou Ling grinned as he explained the Golden Bristle Brush deal. To reassure them, he even took out one of the blanks to show.
"You can really earn that much?" Li Ru cupped Zhou Ling's face, her eyes misty with disbelief. "My Ling'er has grown up so fast..."
It felt like her son had matured overnight!
Zhou Shan, equally moved, declared, "Such achievements deserve a proper celebration!"
As parents, they had never demanded much from Zhou Ling—only that he cultivate diligently and live a stable life, free from the risks they faced daily.
Yet here he was, at just eight years old, already outearning them.
The thought filled them with pride.
"I'll cook two more dishes to mark the occasion!"
Li Ru stood and hurried to the kitchen, discreetly wiping her eyes as she turned away.
"Mother, there's already so much food—we'll never finish it all!" Zhou Ling protested.
"Let her be," Zhou Shan chuckled. "She's happy. We'll take our time and enjoy it."
(End of Chapter)