“This… what are we supposed to do now?” Old Wang trembled as he picked up the ledger, his lips quivering. “Without the Star Pattern Steel, the core of that batch of ‘Golden Light Shields’ simply cannot be repaired; without the Flowing Cloud Iron, the formation lines for the ‘Wind Flow Boots’ would crack even if we managed to draw them on. This is trying to kill us!”

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The assembly line that had just been running at high speed seemed to have its throat choked, emitting a dry, grating sound. Everyone’s gaze converged on Su Ming.

Su Ming stood on the steps, watching the steward’s departing back. His face showed none of the anger or panic everyone had anticipated.

He just calmly glanced at the group and said plainly, “Understood.”

Then, he turned and walked back into the courtyard, his tone as steady as if commenting on the nice weather. “Old Wang, have everyone stop what they’re doing. Since there’s no material, we’ll rest.”

“R… rest?” Old Wang was stunned. “Hall Master, if we delay the schedule, those senior brothers will blame us…”

“If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. It was the Vessel Hall that cut off the materials; they can’t blame us.”

Su Ming walked into the main hall, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea. His movements were fluid and effortless, showing not a trace of agitation.

“Old Wang, come inside.”

Old Wang followed him into the room with trepidation, closing the door behind him.

“Hall Master, do you have some kind of plan?” Looking at Su Ming’s composed demeanor, Old Wang felt a glimmer of hope inexplicably kindle in his heart.

Su Ming blew on the tea foam, took a small sip, and then slowly spoke. “Old Wang, do you remember that ‘Analysis Report on Quality Issues of Certain Materials from the Vessel Hall’ we compiled earlier?”

Old Wang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. “I remember! That ledger recording the scrap and defective goods they gave us, along with those… those micro-structure diagrams you drew.”

“Good.”

Su Ming put down his teacup and gently tapped the table with his fingers, producing a rhythmic *tock-tock* sound.

“Go and make two copies of it. Make them exquisite. Use high-quality recording stones to imprint images of that scrap material inside.”

Su Ming raised his head, a flicker of cunning light flashing in his eyes. “Then, find a few clever brothers to go for a stroll around the places frequented by disciples from Pill Cauldron Peak and the Spiritual Plant Garden.”

“A stroll?” Old Wang couldn’t quite follow the train of thought.

“Yes, a stroll.” A slight smile touched the corner of Su Ming’s mouth. “Then, ‘accidentally’ leave this report there. Remember, it must be ‘accidental,’ preferably dropped on the paths that alchemists who are in a bad mood due to furnace explosions, or herb farmers whose spiritual plants withered due to formation failures, are bound to pass.”

“Also,” Su Ming added, “at the very end of that report, add a line: ‘Due to the Vessel Hall’s material supply cut-off, the Repair Hall has no rice to cook. Although we are aware that material defects will cause the failure rate of magical instruments to skyrocket, we are powerless to change it. We hope for the understanding of all senior brothers.'”

As Old Wang listened, his eyes grew wider and wider, until he finally couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

“Hiss— Hall Master, you intend to…”

In his mind, Lin Yu was laughing uproariously. “Or you could call it ‘information warfare.’ Disciple, you’re playing this ‘borrowing a knife to kill someone’ move quite slickly. Those alchemists at Pill Cauldron Peak are the richest and also the most afraid of dying. If they find out furnace explosions are due to problematic materials supplied by the Vessel Hall… tsk tsk tsk, those bastards in the Vessel Hall are in for it.”

Su Ming looked at Old Wang and smiled gently. “Go on, do it discreetly. Remember, we only ‘accidentally’ lost something. We are also victims.”

Looking at Su Ming’s harmless smile, Old Wang felt a chill run down his spine, but the stifling resentment in his heart instantly dissipated by more than half.

“Understood!” Old Wang straightened his back, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “I’ll go take care of it right now! I guarantee it will be dropped ‘naturally,’ dropped ‘perfectly’!”

…

Over the next two days, the Cloud Hidden Sect seemed calm on the surface, but undercurrents were swirling.

The doors of the Repair Hall remained tightly shut, with a sign hanging outside that read, “Material Shortage, Orders Temporarily Suspended.”

Meanwhile, those few “accidentally” lost reports were like sparks falling into a haystack piled high with dry tinder.

Pill Cauldron Peak.

An inner sect alchemist, who had just suffered a furnace explosion while refining third-grade pills and was covered in soot, was walking down a mountain path, filled with rage.

Suddenly, his foot kicked against an exquisite jade slip.

Puzzled, he picked it up and scanned it with his divine sense.

“Huh? ‘Analysis Report on Quality Issues of Certain Materials from the Vessel Hall’? What is this?”

As he read further, the alchemist’s expression shifted from confusion to shock, and finally to furious anger.

“Excellent! No wonder my ‘Li Fire Furnace’ has been having temperature control issues lately! So it’s because this ‘Red Essence Copper’ is mixed with so many impurities! And these micro-cracks in the ‘Star Pattern Steel’… This isn’t forging material, this is outright murder!”

Similar scenes played out in the Spiritual Plant Garden, in Beast Taming Valley.

The detailed data, the clear comparison charts, and that helpless phrase “powerless to change it” instantly ignited the fury of these “clients.”

The Repair Hall just fixes things; if the materials are bad, there’s nothing they can do.

But these materials came from the Vessel Hall!

And now the Vessel Hall wants to cut off the supply? Do they want us to keep using those shoddy things that could blow up at any moment?

Early morning on the third day.

While the Vessel Hall Master was still dreaming of crushing the Repair Hall and reclaiming the repair rights for low-grade magical instruments, a messenger crane from the Enforcement Hall flew into his cave dwelling.

Immediately afterward, two influential elders from Pill Cauldron Peak and the Spiritual Plant Garden jointly visited the Hall of Stewards, slamming several recording stones and that analysis report heavily onto the table.

The accusations pointed squarely at the Vessel Hall: passing off inferior goods as quality ones, dereliction of duty, and lining their own pockets!

It was said that morning, the Vessel Hall’s main hall echoed with the Hall Master’s furious roars and the miserable cries of several stewards being berated until they were thoroughly humiliated.

That very afternoon.

The previously arrogant Vessel Hall steward, looking utterly disheveled, arrived at the entrance of the Repair Hall with several large carts of materials.

This time, he did not make a loud commotion, nor did he act haughtily.

With his head bowed, he directed disciples to carry boxes of “Star Pattern Steel” and “Flowing Cloud Iron” into the courtyard. He didn’t even dare to look Su Ming in the eye, dropping off the handover list before scurrying away in a hurry.

Old Wang opened a box and was delighted.

“Hall Master! You’re a genius! Not only has this batch of materials made up the shortfall, but the quality is also a whole grade higher than before! This Star Pattern Steel, it practically gleams!”

The menial workers in the courtyard erupted into thunderous cheers.

Su Ming stood by the window, watching this scene, his expression still calm.

“Old Wang, start work. Don’t keep the senior brothers waiting.”

“Right away!”

The machines started up again, the assembly line restarted.

But this time, the way everyone looked at Su Ming had changed. It was no longer just reverence, but a genuine sense of trust and admiration from the heart.

This young Hall Master had, without making a sound, beaten the lofty Vessel Hall into submission, leaving them unable to fight back.

This was true skill!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep