Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.94 第94章 货贸地前的威胁 -4
第94章 货贸地前的威胁 –4
Chapter 94 Threat Before the Trade Market –4
不过正在炼制失念引擎的这个假冒苏晴也只是略微讶异了下。
However, this fake Sue Ching, who was in the midst of crafting the Shin Engine, was only slightly surprised.
「快走吧，我今天不营业。」
“Hurry up and leave. I’m not open for business today.”
苏晴毫不在意屋外站在杨子藏身侧不远处的另壹位老板，他伸出带著皮手套的手拿起份有化石痕迹的矿石，准备投入炼制中。
Sue Ching didn’t spare a glance at the other boss standing by Yang Zicang just outside the door. He raised his leather-gloved hand, picked up a mineral embedded with fossil traces, and prepared to toss it into the smelting process.
「如果我是妳的话，我就会把它放下。」
“If I were you, I’d put that down.”
杨子藏踩了步上石阶，靠在门框上抱著臂弯看著他。
Yang Zicang stepped onto the stone staircase, leaned against the doorframe, and watched him with his arms crossed.
苏晴瞥了眼这小子，哼笑了下。
Sue Ching glanced at the brat, snorted a brief laugh.
在进入店主的身体前，他故意问苏晴关于那人的记忆，让他快速回想起来，果然顺利的得到了那份制作遗物引擎的记忆画面。当时那人就是这么制作引擎的。
Before entering the shopkeeper’s body, he deliberately asked Sue Ching about that person’s memories, making him recall them quickly—and sure enough, he smoothly obtained those memory images of crafting the relic engine. That was exactly how the person had built the engine back then.
虽然物品不壹样，但化石都比较完整，顺序没错，结果自然也不会有错。
Although the items were different, the fossils were relatively complete. With the order correct, the outcome naturally left no room for error.
然而当他将这部分化石丢进光团内后，能量团却突然碰地炸开，壹堆碎裂的石块落在地面。
Yet when he tossed that chunk of fossil into the glowing mass, the energy cluster suddenly burst apart with a bang, scattering a pile of shattered stones across the ground.
……
苏晴愣了下，喃喃自语。
Sue Ching froze for a moment, muttering to himself.
「怎么会这样，明明他们就是这么做的。」
“How could this be? They clearly did it exactly like this.”
自己冒著这么大危险跑到这边来，不就是为了掌握这份东西的制作方法吗？
I took such a huge risk coming all the way here, wasn’t it precisely to master the method of making this thing?
瞧见他的表情，杨子藏就知道他获知的信息缺少关键部分。在属于马超经常活动的那边，这部分也是很保密的内容。
Seeing his expression, Yang Zicang knew the information he had obtained was missing a crucial piece. On Matt Chao’s usual turf, this part was also highly confidential.
冒牌苏晴转过头看向杨子藏：「妳怎么知道我会失败。」
The Fake Sue Ching turned to look at Yang Zicang: “How do you know I will fail?”
屋外的苏黎趁著两人说话的功夫折入颗大树背后，快步往林外跑去。
Su Li, outside the house, took advantage of their conversation to duck behind a large tree and quickly ran toward the edge of the forest.
「因为妳只是成功的把化石拼了遍而已啊。」杨子藏耸了耸肩摊手道，「妳见过人造物的化石吗？我是指，在以前，在我们的家乡。」
“Because you only successfully pieced together the fossil, that’s all,” Yang Zicang shrugged and spread his hands, “Have you ever seen a fossil of an artificial object? I mean, back then, back in our homeland.”
屋内的苏晴眯了眯眼。
Sue Ching, inside the house, narrowed his eyes.
「妳想说衣物或者腊肉成为化石？呵，地球人类才出现多少年。」
“Are you trying to say that clothes or cured meat can become fossils? Ha, how many years have humans on Earth actually existed?”
徐秀川在壹旁思索著道：
Shiu Siuchuan pondered from the side and said:
「不过…上学的时候，我倒是从壹些读物上看到过，什么地方的煤矿里有几千万年前的铁锤啊，铁钉之类的。」
“However… back in school, I did read some materials about how, in coal mines somewhere, there were hammers or nails from tens of millions of years ago.”
「对对，我也听说过这种新闻。」左非闲点头。
“Right, right, I’ve heard of that kind of news too,” Zuo Feixian nodded.
杨子藏笑道，「所以妳看，保存下来的都是铁器之类的，哪怕是古生物化石，也大多是骨头和恐龙蛋，以及部分身体轮廓，对吧？而妳手中的是什么呢？」
Yang Zicang laughed, “So you see, what’s preserved are things like iron tools. Even with ancient biological fossils, most are bones, dinosaur eggs, and some body outlines, right? So what is it in your hand?”
苏晴看了眼地上的化石碎片。
Sue Ching glanced at the fossil fragments on the ground.
是木棍。
It was a wooden stick.
它大部分易碎，被包裹在坚硬的石腔中，地上则还有苏晴刚砍下的木条，放在那里代替化石中曾经的原木部分。
It was mostly fragile, encased in a hard stone cavity, while on the ground lay a few wooden strips that Sue Ching had just cut, placed there to replace the original log portion that once existed in the fossil.
杨子藏想竖著手指道：
Yang Zicang raised a finger and said:
「大多数的人造物，都是由易分解材料所制而成，如布料、皮革，以及妳手上的木头。妳能看到它，壹要感谢它是铸型化石，二是要感谢它曾经的制作者对其所赋予的能量让它能撑过岁月的磨损，不至于被快速分解。」
“Most human-made artifacts are crafted from easily decomposable materials, such as cloth, leather, and the wood in your hands. For you to see it today, you must first thank the fact that it’s a cast fossil, and second, thank the energy imbued by its original creator, which allowed it to withstand the erosion of time and avoid rapid decomposition.”
苏晴看向这个年轻人，「妳好像颇有研究。」
Sue Ching looked at this young man. “You seem quite knowledgeable.”
而杨子藏复述的不过是马超的劳动成果。
What Yang Zicang had just recited, however, was merely Matt Chao’s labor of research.
「铸型化石是比较硬的物体在漫长时光中溶解后，由其它物质填充形成的与原物形状壹致的化石。」
“A cast fossil forms over a long period when a relatively hard object dissolves, and its empty space is filled by other materials, resulting in a fossil that matches the original’s shape exactly.”
原来是这样，苏晴恍然，这个木头只具备其形状。里面填充的早就不是以前的木材了。
So that was it, Sue Ching realized with sudden clarity—this piece of wood only retained its form. The material filling it now was long gone from its original timber.
苏晴脸色阴晴不定，还要通过化石里残留物去研究它以前的材质，那多麻烦。
Sue Ching’s expression shifted, turbulent. Having to study its former material through the fossil’s residue—how troublesome that would be.
「敢问贵姓？」
“May I ask your name?”
「我是甲子间。」
“I am Jiazi Term.”
他眸中精光壹闪：「妳就是甲子间？阁下，能不能请妳帮我做份失念引擎？我可以给妳报酬。」
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: “You are Jiazi Term? Sir, could you do me the favor of building a Shin Engine? I can compensate you for it.”
几人都古怪的看向他。
The others all gave him strange looks, confusion flickering in their eyes.
「妳听说过我？」
“You’ve heard of me?”
忽地壹道熟悉的声音从墙边传来：「哇，妳们几个速度这么快！」
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the wall: “Wow, you guys are so fast!”
之前那两个被赶出来的家伙此时从屋外另壹边伸出头。拎著包大摇大摆从墙边出来。
The two who had been kicked out earlier stuck their heads out from the other side of the house, carrying their bags and swaggering out from the edge of the wall.
「哦哟，妳们两个偷听的小贼。」
“Oh, what do we have here? Two little thieves eavesdropping.”
「别冤枉人，大家都是地球来的。」
“Don’t make false accusations; we’re all from Earth.”
「对，妳才是贼。」助手道，随后就被他的陈老师壹巴掌拍在头顶。
“Yeah, you’re the thief,” said the assistant, quickly getting a slap on the head from his Professor Chen.
两人正了正不怎么整洁的衣服提著箱子走到门口。
The two straightened their not-so-neat clothes, picked up their suitcases, and walked to the door.
「哟荷，这是自动型作棚吧，有这屋子，我们都能省不少精力。」
“Whoa, is this an automatic workshop? With a room like this, we can save a lot of energy.”
陈老师开心不已，信心大盛。
Professor Chen was overjoyed and full of confidence.
手工作棚做壹两件失念引擎后，就像熬了个通宵壹样，对精神力的消耗特别大。但有这屋子在，就不用担心这个问题。
After making one or two Shin Engines in a manual workshop, it was like working all night—a huge drain on mental energy. But with this room, that wouldn’t be a problem.
「老板，听说妳是这里技术最好的师傅，我这里有份古代配方，虽然没有化石，但我觉得已经算是个成品了，但却壹直成功不了，能帮我看看吗？我有材料。」
“Boss, I heard you’re the best craftsman around. I’ve got an ancient blueprint here—no fossils, but I think it’s already a solid draft. However, I keep failing to make it work. Could you take a look? I’ve got the materials.”
助手在后面扯著老师的衣服边道：「陈老师。」
The assistant tugged at his teacher’s coat and muttered, “Professor Chen.”
陈老师并不搭理他，专心向屋内的人介绍著自己的魔法物品研究经历，根本没察觉店铺老板和杨子藏之间有点不对劲的微妙气氛。
Professor Chen paid him no attention and continued enthusiastically introducing his research experience with magical artifacts to the people inside the shop, completely oblivious to the subtle, uncomfortable tension simmering between the shopkeeper and Yang Zicang.
「陈老头！」助手气急败坏的道：「我们的材料不多了，别乱搞了好吗。」
“Old man Chen!” his assistant said, exasperated. “Our materials are running low—stop messing around, alright?”
「妳懂啥，在这边这么久，我就没见到有自动作棚的店铺。区区材料算什么，就算失败也能汲取更多教训不是吗。」
“What do you know? I’ve been here this whole time and I’ve never seen a shop with an automatic hoarding system. What are a few materials anyway? Even if we fail, we’ll gain more lessons, won’t we?”
「妳当那些材料是自动跑到妳面前的？」
“Do you think those materials just dropped into your lap on their own?”
「难道不是？」
“Wasn’t that the case?”
助手差点踹他壹脚：「都是妳学生我辛辛苦苦挖来的好吗！」
The assistant nearly kicked him in the backside. “They were all painstakingly dug up by me, your student, alright!”
「妳们也有化石遗物配方？」本想赶走两人的苏晴转而让两人进入。
“You two also have the fossil relic formula?” Sue Ching, who had intended to kick them out, instead invited them inside.
「哈哈，没错没错，配方是这样的。」
“Haha, that’s right, that’s right—here’s the formula.”
进屋的陈老师递出张纸，上面写著制作失念引擎的配方。假冒的苏晴接过后只是简单的看了眼，就将纸张递给杨子藏。
Once inside, Professor Chen handed over a piece of paper that contained the recipe for manufacturing the Shin Engine. The fake Sue Ching skimmed it briefly, then casually passed the paper on to Yang Zicang.
「喂诶诶诶，妳干什么，这个可不能乱给人看。」
“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? You can’t just show that to just anyone.”
陈老师起身便打算夺过材料铺老板手中属于自己的配方单。
Professor Chen stood up and moved to snatch back his prescription sheet from the hands of the material shop’s owner.
在他伸手的瞬间，苏晴的手腕壹晃，从他双手间伸过，将纸张折叠弹向门口。纸张稳稳落在了杨子藏的指缝上。这壹幕看得周围几人心中齐齐壹动。
The moment his hand reached out, Sue Ching’s wrist flicked, extending through the gap between his hands, folding the paper and flicking it toward the door. The paper landed steadily between the fingers of Yang Zicang. This scene made those watching around, momentarily stir in their hearts.
「厉害啊。」小刘看著杨子藏轻松接过，双目在老板和这人之间来回看了几眼。就这露的壹手，两人都颇具高手气质，仿佛武林中高手们不经意的壹次较量。
“Impressive.” Little Liu watched as Yang Zicang caught it effortlessly, his eyes darting between the boss and the man a few times. From that single display, both exuded an air of mastery—like a subtle duel between martial arts experts.
杨子藏只是瞄了眼，苏晴摊掌对著地上属于陈老师的东西道：「正好有材料，甲子兄，请。」
Yang Zicang only glanced at it. Sue Ching spread his palm toward the batch of Professor Chen’s belongings on the ground and said, “Since there happen to be materials here, Brother Jiazi, please go ahead.”
是想借此确认自己的是否会做引擎？这人究竟从哪里听过自己的事…
Did he want to use this to confirm whether I could actually make the engine? Where did this person even hear about me…
「妳们，妳！」陈老师指著苏晴的鼻子，」我是来找妳的，妳让壹个外人看我的配方，还碰我的材料，什么意思，生意是这样做的？」
“You—and you!” Professor Chen pointed at Sue Ching’s nose. “I came looking for you, but you let an outsider read my formula and touch my materials. What’s the meaning of this? Is this how you do business?”
苏晴猛然转头，目中闪过丝凶恶眼神，随后压下自己的气势，带起抹微笑：「不要有眼不识泰山，眼前这位妳原本打著灯笼都找不著。」
Sue Ching whirled around abruptly, a fierce glint flashing through his eyes before suppressing his momentum, a smile curling onto his lips: “Don’t fail to recognize a great master right before your eyes. The man standing here is someone you couldn’t have found even if you lit a lantern and searched high and low.”
杨子藏眼睛虚了虚。
Yang Zicang narrowed his eyes.
奇怪了…难道他是从枢纽镇进来的？可自己的名气快速提升，还是昨天的事情。
How strange… Could he have come from Hubville? After all, my notoriety rising so fast only happened yesterday.
难道是从宁洋的棚区听到的？也有点不对劲。
Could he have heard about it from Ning Yang’s Peng Zone? That doesn’t seem right either.
陈老师扭头看向三人。
Professor Chen turned his head to look at the three men.
壹个蓬头垢面表情洋洋得意，壹个看上去就像憋著坏劲儿的蠢材，就只有前方这人稍微看得过去，但也跟自己带过的学生差不多而已。虽有些高手风范，但骨子里的稚气未脱。
One was disheveled and smug, one looked like a fool holding back mischief, and only the front-most man was somewhat presentable, but still not much different from students he had taught before. Although he carried an air of expertise, there was an undeniable rawness deep down.
「真是专家？那妳来吧，泰山。」
“A real expert, huh? Alright then, your turn, Tyrium.”
陈老师后退了步，将位置让给杨子藏。
Professor Chen stepped back, yielding the position to Yang Zicang.
「做出来算谁的？」杨子藏看向陈老师。
“If I get it done, who gets the credit?” Yang Zicang looked at Professor Chen.
「呵，行，算妳的，反正配方搞定才是最主要的。」
“Ha, fine, it’s yours. Anyway, the key is to nail the recipe.”
杨子藏点点头。
Yang Zicang nodded.
这配方马超也找到过，在他那边的隐秘圈子里比较流行，大家都掌握著某部分内容，结果就是都没怎么成功造出具备火焰属性的优质装备。
Matt Chao had found this formula, too. It circulated among his private circles and was fairly popular—everyone had pieces of it, but no one managed to craft high-quality flame-attributed equipment successfully.
陈老师手上的这配方，就属于那种缺少其它信息的低配版，还是低配版的低配版，应该是从外围某个商家手上搞到的。
The formula in Professor Chen’s hands was a low-tier version lacking other crucial information, one step further removed—a stripped-down variant of a stripped-down version. Most likely obtained from a merchant on the fringes.
杨子藏蹲下检查了下这些铸造过的活动铁片、打磨过的晶体，以及皮革材料，它们都被这两位用魔晶石给附著过能量了。
Yang Zicang crouched down to inspect the forged movable iron plates, the polished crystals, and the leather materials. Both minions had already infused them with energy using magic crystals.
「还差些材料，我能进去妳的库房选下吗。」
“Still need some materials. Can I head into your storeroom to pick a few?”
「当然。」
“Of course.”
杨子藏往后厅用作库房的房间走去，路过柜台的时候，他瞥见那里的地下有散落的血迹，以及壹套胡乱塞在柜台下的衣物。
Yang Zicang walked toward the back hall room used as a storeroom. As he passed the counter, he caught a glimpse of scattered bloodstains on the floor beneath it and a set of clothes carelessly stuffed under the counter.