Chapter 2064 — The Uses of Colored Steel

"That I believe!" Wei Zhao nodded. Since Han Xiaohu had earlier been willing to offer terms under which all the victors' prizes would go to Wei Zhao, he had clearly paid a steep price for it. If the man still had any of this colored steel, it would have been impossible for him to hold some back—and if Wei Zhao ever found out, there would surely have been a crack in their relationship.

At the very least, Wei Zhao could now see that the hidden Han family was courting him, so as long as the head of that family was not a fool, he would never do something so foolish as to keep a card up his sleeve.

"Elder Lin, is this colored steel not enough?" Han Xiaohu asked.

"Mm, a bit short," Wei Zhao said mildly. "Is there more?"

"That's hard to say. Our hidden Han family has none left, but other hidden clans may still have some in their hands!" Han Xiaohu said. "Because this stuff isn't of much use to the hidden clans—it's a useless thing, neither meat nor bone—so we've never made inquiries as to which families still have any."

Wei Zhao nodded and asked, "So you're saying this thing isn't especially rare; it's simply of little use to each family, is that right? What would an alchemist even need this for?"

"Precisely!" Han Xiaohu nodded and said, "Although I don't know what Elder Lin needs this colored steel for, from what I know, this thing can only be used by artificers. As for alchemists—I've heard that high-ranked alchemists can indeed use it as well. When they forge medicinal cauldrons, they also need to add this colored steel!"

So forging medicinal cauldrons also required adding colored steel. No wonder those ordinary cauldrons exploded the moment they were used. It seemed that although the cauldron Han Jingyi had obtained from You Panhu was made of copper, it had likely also been mixed with this special substance, colored steel, which was what made it usable by alchemists.

"So the colored steel I obtained really can be used to forge medicinal cauldrons," Wei Zhao nodded and said mildly.

He knew that if he went through the hidden Han family to search for more colored steel, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. So, to avoid that, since Han Xiaohu had said colored steel could be used to forge medicinal cauldrons, Wei Zhao simply pinned it all on the cauldron.

"Oh? From what Elder Lin says, you're an alchemist?" A strange light flashed across Han Xiaohu's eyes.

"Indeed, I am an alchemist!" Wei Zhao nodded and said. "I happened to obtain a secret manual on forging medicinal cauldrons and was preparing to try forging one for myself, which is why I've been searching for colored steel in large quantities. But before this I wasn't certain that colored steel could definitely be used to forge medicinal cauldrons. Now that you've confirmed it, it seems my manual is genuine."

"So that's it! I was wondering why Elder Lin would go looking for such an uncommon thing as colored steel!" Han Xiaohu said in sudden understanding. "Still, colored steel can't be used by most people. At this summit of the hidden clans, though, no one will go out of their way to stake this stuff as a treasure—the other powers wouldn't allow it either. After all, it's of little use to us..."

"Then how can I obtain more colored steel?" Wei Zhao asked.

"That... our hidden Han family could make inquiries on Elder Lin's behalf, but it would be a matter of luck," Han Xiaohu said honestly. "Whether we can get more colored steel, I can't promise either. After all, among the hidden clans, the hidden Han family's say is not great. If we stood as high as the hidden Yu family, the hidden You family, or even the hidden Zhao family, which has just produced a heaven-ranked expert, then going to other families to look for colored steel would be an easy matter."

Wei Zhao nodded. Given the Han family's current strength, sending them to search the various hidden clans for colored steel on his behalf would be no different from asking a tiger for its hide! If at this summit of the hidden clans he helped the hidden Han family win a few more matches, then it might be possible to raise their standing somewhat—but that rise would also depend on the Han family slowly building up connections on its own. To expect them to inquire about colored steel for him, who knew how many years he would have to wait.

"Is there no other way?" Wei Zhao asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I wouldn't say there's none..." Han Xiaohu hesitated a moment. "Other channels exist, but they too are a matter of blind luck..."

"Let's hear it," Wei Zhao said. Sometimes having a method was better than having none; one more road was one more hope.

"Shortly after the summit of the hidden clans concludes, a cultivators' market will be held. We could go there and take a look," Han Xiaohu said.

"A cultivators' market? What is that?" Wei Zhao frowned and asked.

"I guessed Elder Lin probably didn't know such a cultivators' market existed—that's why you brought it up. It seems Elder Lin truly doesn't know," Han Xiaohu nodded and said. "In fact, our hidden Han family only learned of this cultivators' market in recent years! And the cultivators' market is attended by old-established cultivation families, as well as some loose cultivators led there by their masters. Other cultivators, without someone to guide them, would never find the place!"

"Tell me about this cultivators' market," Wei Zhao nodded and asked.

"A cultivators' market—as the name implies, it's a place where cultivators trade with one another, a small-scale fair. There, cultivators can do business, setting out stalls to sell rare treasures, spiritual medicines, cultivation manuals, and the like that are of no use to themselves. You can sell for money, or trade for items you need!" Han Xiaohu explained. "There are quite a few loose cultivators there, so perhaps colored steel and the other things Elder Lin needs can be found."

"So such fairs really do exist," Wei Zhao said in sudden understanding, his heart leaping with joy. With a fair like this, finding things in the future would be much more convenient! And if Han Jingyi could refine pills in the future, she could refine some elixirs to sell and trade there as well—that would be a fine channel indeed.

"Yes, and not only are there such fairs, the hidden clans also hold auctions at regular intervals!" Han Xiaohu said. "The things in the market are merely ordinary; it's the things at the auctions that are truly fine! Moreover, at an auction you can specify to the seller that you wish to trade for a particular item—if Elder Lin has other treasures, you could request colored steel in exchange!"