“Almost done, give it a try.” The old man watched the flames slowly extinguish and reminded Zheng Qing.
Zheng Qing looked at him blankly, thinking confusedly, how do you test a piece of hide? Aren't spell books always in the form of books? Could it be that my spell book is special, a beast-skin scroll?
The soft hide floated in mid-air, twisted, and rolled itself into the shape of a beast-skin scroll. It rolled twice, then unfurled, becoming a piece of hide again.
This hide seems to dislike being a beast-skin scroll! Zheng Qing was startled by his own thought.
He felt that he must have lost too much blood and was dizzy.
“What kind of spell book do you like?” the old man prompted from the side.
Shaking his dizzy head, Zheng Qing tentatively imagined in his mind what his spell book should look like.
In mid-air, the milky white hide changed like latex, following his thoughts.
A soft, white cover, blank flyleaf, translucent pages, and a leather clasp.
It was exactly as he had imagined in his mind!
Zheng Qing reached out and grabbed it.
The spell book trembled, making a rustling sound, as if laughing contentedly.
A feeling of blood connection spread from his palm throughout his body. Zheng Qing felt enlightened, took a deep breath, relaxed his entire body, and slowly landed on the ground.
“A good blank book.” The old man nodded in appreciation: “A wizard without imagination is not a good wizard. The richer the details you imagine, the greater the potential of your spell book.”
He beckoned, calling the spell book from Zheng Qing’s hand.
“Are there any taboos?” The old man pulled open the drawer on the table, laid out a row of tools like scissors, hammers, awls, and nails, then raised his eyelids and asked, “For example, can it not touch silver? Or is it allergic to peach wood?”
“I don’t know.” Zheng Qing shook his head.
“You don’t know!” The old man frowned, then relaxed: “Then let’s use brass. Brass is mild in nature and has good quality. As far as I remember, no one has a taboo against brass.”
He tapped the toolbox beside him. The copper sheets, copper nails, and copper buckles inside jumped onto the white spell book in neat rows, and under the old man’s clanking hammer, they were obediently flattened and rounded, becoming book nails, corner protectors, and decorations on the clasp.
After hammering the last copper wire on the spine, the old man put down his tools, patted them, and blew on them.
“Very good, a very promising little fellow. I’m almost reluctant to sell it to you.” The old man’s layered wrinkles twisted, forming a not-so-successful smile, and he handed the book to Zheng Qing.
“What was that black thing you pulled out of me just now?” Zheng Qing took the book, his mind still a mess. He remembered the black inkdrop the old man had pulled from his chest with a Spell, and his face turned a bit pale.
“Wasn’t it the demon spirit you brought?” The old man put away his not-so-successful smile, looking displeased: “First, give me the invoice from the front desk.”
Zheng Qing paused, then immediately handed the green book list to the old man.
“A freshman?” The old man widened his eyes and looked at the green paper in front of him, his dark eyes looking even more terrifying: “You’re a freshman at First University? And a Publicly Funded Student at that?”
“Mm.” Zheng Qing blinked, a strange thought floating in his mind, and he nodded weakly.
“Then it’ll be one gold beans.” The old man actually said no more, but nodded contentedly, closing his eyes again: “A Publicly Funded Student drilling into my dark workshop, it must be for the bottom line of that one gold beans.”
Zheng Qing gave an awkward smile.
“Your Little Elves pulled several strands of my hair just now.” He pulled out the sparkling little things from his jacket pocket, handed them to the old man, and asked, “They also gave me these things.”
“They usually only pull out a couple of loose threads from guests, or unbutton a button. They’re rarely this rude.” The old man extended his pinky finger, used his long nail to pick up a small crystal, and brought it closer to his eyes to examine it.
“Not exactly rude.” Zheng Qing thought of those exquisite Little Elves, and changed his word: “At most, a bit willful.”
He was a little worried the old man would punish those Little Elves.
“Not bad, it looks like they really like you. What they gave you isn’t glass shards.” The old man’s voice was full of laughter: “Before, when they begged for souvenirs from guests, they’d at most give a bit of glass shards. What you have are all good jade dust, excellent stabilizers from the laboratory. They’re worth much more than one gold beans.”
Zheng Qing licked his dry lips and tightened his grip on the milky white wizard’s spell book.
He really wanted to invite those Little Elves to pull his hair again. Perhaps if they pulled a couple more rounds, his living expenses for the entire academic year would be covered.
But such a shameful thought could only remain a thought.
Stepping out the door with weak steps, Thomas was already waiting not far from the bookshop.
Seeing Zheng Qing’s pale face and unsteady steps, and hearing his general experience, Thomas couldn’t help but shake his head, saying, “Old Payne is reckless, how could he use the Blood Refinement method to refine a wizard’s spell book for you?”
“Is there a great danger in that?” Hearing some of the sensitive words, Zheng Qing’s vision went a bit dark.
“Not at all,” Thomas glanced at Zheng Qing and explained, “On the contrary, a wizard’s spell book refined this way has good enhancement for Spells, and also strong growth potential. It’s just that you’re only a Publicly Funded Student, you shouldn’t receive such treatment no matter what!”
“Perhaps he mistook me for someone else.” Zheng Qing recalled the situation when he entered the shop, feeling a bit uncertain.
“Very possible, or maybe he was just excited by the hunt. Old Payne is famous for being whimsical.” Thomas pulled out a jade bottle from his Arms, poured out a bright red pill, and put it into Zheng Qing’s mouth: “It’s for blood replenishment, eat it. Otherwise, I highly doubt you’ll walk a few steps before collapsing on the ground. Interviewer is really not what I should be doing, it’s like being a male nanny.”
He patted his spell book, leaving a clear water sphere near Zheng Qing’s mouth.
The red pill entered his mouth, Zheng Qing chewed a few times with effort, then leaned in to eat a few mouthfuls of the clear water sphere in front of him and swallowed.
He wiped his mouth, and a burning sensation surged from his stomach to all parts of his body.
His face felt hot, and even his lower body felt a bit swollen.
“This is for blood replenishment? It feels too strange!” Zheng Qing awkwardly clamped his legs, fanning himself with his brand new spell book, trying hard to convince himself in his mind that his blushing was due to the blood rushing up.
“You’ll know how to prepare it when you’re in your second year.” Thomas grinned maliciously and laughed: “For many second and third-year students, this little pill with no side effects can be used in many places! Of course, the premise is that you can pass the first-year exam.”
Zheng Qing really couldn’t ignore Thomas’s teasing, and his face grew even redder.
It’s not like I said such shameful things, why am I blushing!
He roared in his heart.