Feng Baiye's smile carried an unquestionable certainty, as if he had already seen right through Lin Rui's thoughts.
This guy's shamelessness is on another level, and his instincts are as sharp as a fox's, Lin Rui grumbled internally. Outwardly, he put on a look of perfect resignation.
"Enforcer Feng truly has a discerning eye. I did indeed take a closer look at this 'Ink-Mark Forge.'"
He paused, organizing his thoughts, then recounted the information he had pieced together from the Record of Zhuyun Town's Hundred-Year-Old Shops and a few scattered volumes of the Qingluo Miscellaneous Records.
"According to these fragments, over a hundred years ago, the 'Ink-Mark Forge' was a moderately famous blacksmith shop. Its master, 'Old Eccentric Mo,' was obsessed with forging strange weapons. Later, it seems he came into contact with some heretical arts and began attempting to forge a malevolent artifact that could 'lock the soul and bind the spirit,' supposedly capable of imprisoning living souls and refining foul yin energy. After this was exposed, the forge was jointly exterminated by the town's guardian cultivators. Old Eccentric Mo's fate is unknown, leaving behind only the abandoned shop and some ominous legends."
The smile on Feng Baiye's face faded slightly, his brow furrowing as his fingertips tapped a rhythmic beat on the Five-Elements Xiao at his waist.
"'Lock the soul and bind the spirit'… a type of forbidden forging art. The Xuanfa Hall has records of such techniques, but our archive here, hmph, is severely incomplete." He pondered for a moment, his tone growing more serious. "If a local incident like this can't be resolved quickly, protocol dictates it must be reported up to High Emissary Xie Ran. When that happens, more people and politics get involved, and handling it becomes, tsk, a huge pain."
Lin Rui understood the implication. This Enforcer didn't seem to want to escalate the matter, at least not before he had a firm grasp on the situation. "So, Enforcer Feng, you also believe last night's incident is connected to the legacy of this 'Ink-Mark Forge'?"
"A safe bet." Feng Baiye's eyes narrowed. "The residual foul yin energy on those walking corpses and that strange, dark mist are both highly consistent with the characteristics of the Ink-Mark Forge's malevolent arts. The only question is whether we're dealing with a descendant of Old Eccentric Mo, or if someone simply got their hands on his old grimoires."
A glint appeared in Lin Rui's eyes. "Besides the official texts, perhaps we could approach this from more 'down-to-earth' channels," he suggested. "For example, the unofficial Chronicles of Qingluo Prefecture's Powers, or maybe some of the old-timers who are familiar with local legends."
Hearing this, a look of approval flashed in Feng Baiye's eyes. "The unofficial edition of the Chronicles? A real mixed bag, but sometimes you can dig up tidbits the official records overlook." He rubbed his chin. "But we must be careful. If this matter involves any infamous organizations—like the poison masters from the Gloomy Spring Prefecture, or some heretical artisan sects—we'll need to raise our alert level immediately."
Lin Rui felt a chill. Gloomy Spring Prefecture… even the name sounds unpleasant.
He volunteered. "In that case, why don't you let me handle the local rumors? I have a few friends who might be able to find out some useful information."
Xu Yu has a head full of more obscure trivia than anyone, and Lin Baobao can always pry some gossip out of the most unlikely corners.
At this, Feng Baiye's lips curved up into his signature smile again. "Oh? Little brother Lin Rui, you're quite well-connected! Alright, sounds good. Divide and conquer, much more efficient." He clapped Lin Rui on the shoulder. "In that case, I'll head up to the second floor and dig through the official records. I'll pay special attention to the Hall's internal copy of the Essentials of Spiritual Attack and Defense, to see if there are methods for countering malevolent artifacts."
He paused, then added with a teasing tone, "You'd better hurry, though. If this humble Enforcer finds the key clue first, the top credit for cracking this case won't be yours."
Lin Rui bid farewell to Feng Baiye and walked straight out of the Archive Pavilion.
Xu Yu's home was in a quiet alley near the Azure Creek River. His ancestors had included several deacons who managed the family's archives, and the moment one stepped into the courtyard, one was greeted by the faint scent of ink and old paper.
Lin Rui knocked on the worn bamboo gate. Xu Yu's grandfather, a vigorous old man, opened the door and, hearing Lin Rui was a friend, led him into his grandson's study.
The study was not large, with bookshelves covering three walls, crammed with bamboo slips, beast-hide scrolls, and even a few stone tablets. Xu Yu was buried in a pile of yellowed blueprints and only looked up dazedly when he heard the noise.
"Lin Rui? What are you doing here?"
Lin Rui didn't waste time. In a few words, he explained the situation at the abandoned shops, the walking corpses, and his own speculations.
The moment Xu Yu heard "Ink-Mark Forge" and "lock the soul and bind the spirit," his normally calm eyes lit up, more excited than if he had seen a rare cultivation manual. He shoved the blueprints aside and pulled out a stack of fragmentary scrolls and several thin booklets from a bottom shelf.
"Addendum to the Artisan Lineages of Zhuyun Town, An Examination of the Ink-Mark Forge, Fragmentary Records of Ore Transactions from the Qingluo Merchant Guild's Hundred-Year Archive…" Xu Yu rattled off the titles as if counting family treasures, his fingers flying across the old papers. "Enforcer Feng is starting with the official records; we'll look for clues in these 'unofficial histories'!"
He spread out an old map of Zhuyun Town's early market and pointed to an inconspicuous corner in the east. "The Ink-Mark Forge's location is remote, right next to the old burial grounds. According to the Comprehensive Guide to Spirit Web Nodes, this kind of place, where 'foul earthly energies gather,' is thick with yin energy. Unsuitable for ordinary cultivators, but a place where special yin-attribute ores can easily form."
Lin Rui nodded. Xu Yu's analysis matched Feng Baiye's suspicions.
Xu Yu then opened a book with brittle, yellowed pages, Unofficial Records of Strange Tales. "Got it! It says 'Old Eccentric Mo' was erratic; however, in his early years, he took on a distant nephew named Mo Chong as an apprentice. This Mo Chong had mediocre aptitude, but a personality even more solitary than his uncle's. After the great fire at the Ink-Mark Forge, he disappeared. Some say he died in the fire, but others say… he escaped with some of his uncle's manuscripts."
"Manuscripts…" Lin Rui mused. "If he did get the manuscripts, his disappearance all these years probably means he's been studying them in secret."
"Exactly!" Xu Yu pulled a tattered piece of parchment from a pile of merchant guild archives. "Look here," he said, pointing to a line of nearly illegible script. "'North slope of Cold Pine Ridge, abandoned mine shaft number three, produces Ink-Patterned Iron, poor quality.' Ink-Patterned Iron! This is the main material the forge used! Although it says the quality is poor, if it were refined with special heretical methods, it might still be usable."
The abandoned mine at Cold Pine Ridge. Old Eccentric Mo's nephew, Mo Chong. The heretical manuscripts. The clues were becoming clearer.
Xu Yu closed the books, a flush of excitement on his face. "Come on, let's go find Baobao. That guy's nose and ears are sometimes more useful than all these old papers! Right now, he's guaranteed to be at the Thousand Eats House!"
Sure enough, they found Lin Baobao at the Thousand Eats House, gnawing on a braised pork shoulder bigger than his face, grease dripping down his chin. Seeing them, he greeted them with a mumble, instinctively trying to pass them an empty plate. "Lin Rui, Yu, you're just in time! Try this new 'Hundred-Flavor Braised Pork Shoulder,' it's their secret recipe, tsk tsk, practically overflowing with spiritual energy!"
Lin Rui didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He pulled up a stool. "Baobao, stop eating for a second. This is important."
Baobao reluctantly put down the pork shoulder. "What's so important that it's better than this?"
Lin Rui briefly explained the situation with the Ink-Mark Forge and Mo Chong, emphasizing that they needed information about a gaunt, secretive middle-aged man.
Lin Baobao blinked, his large eyes holding a rare look of contemplation. He stuffed a spirit-wheat muffin in his mouth, saying indistinctly, "The east market's abandoned district… that godforsaken place. Now that you mention it, something has seemed a bit off there lately."
He swallowed the muffin and chugged a mouthful of soup. "A couple of days ago, I went to the 'Gathering Fragrance Pavilion' to buy some syrup, and their shop boy told me that some weirdo has been hanging around the east market. Described him as thin as a bamboo pole, with a pale, greenish complexion. He was even asking 'Black Scorpion'—the guy who sells all the under-the-table herbs—about 'Yin-Gathering Powder' and 'Bone-Rotting Grass'!"
Xu Yu's eyebrow shot up. "Yin-Gathering Powder? Bone-Rotting Grass? Those are both materials for refining low-grade malevolent artifacts."
"I know, right!" Baobao slapped his thigh. "And I heard from my third cousin-uncle, who's a waiter at the Drunken Immortal Tavern, that late one night, he saw a shady figure coming down from the direction of Cold Pine Ridge, carrying a heavy sack that looked full of rocks."
Lin Rui and Xu Yu exchanged a knowing glance. From the direction of Cold Pine Ridge? A sack of black ore?
"Oh!" Baobao exclaimed, sniffing the air hard. "That 'Black Scorpion' guy complained that the weirdo had a strange smell on him. Really bad. Like rust, something burnt, and also mixed with… with…" He struggled to identify the scent, then his eyes lit up. "Azureheart Wood! That's it, the weird smell of Azureheart Wood that hadn't been burned properly!"
"Azureheart Wood?" Lin Rui repeated. It was a common spirit wood in Qingluo Prefecture. It usually had a faint, clean scent, but when burned incompletely, it produced a pungent, burnt odor.
Xu Yu was puzzled. "What would he be using Azureheart Wood for? To cover up another smell, or as a material for some heretical ritual?"
Baobao shrugged. "That, I don't know. But the smell was weird. The erhu player from the Yin family—you know, the old guy who's always playing by the Azure Creek River—he said he smelled something similar near the abandoned district, too."
Lin Rui pondered for a moment. The clues were now clear: Mo Chong, the Ink-Patterned Iron from Cold Pine Ridge, the heretical materials, and that strange, mixed odor of rust, burnt matter, and Azureheart Wood. Everything pointed to the threat lurking in the shadows.
The night was as black as ink, shrouding the crumbling walls of the Ink-Mark Forge in a dead silence.
Lin Rui's group of five now stood at the periphery of the ruins. The clues gathered during the day had woven together to point to a single name: Mo Chong.
Feng Baiye's expression was grim, the Five-Elements Xiao spinning nimbly between his fingers. "We'll go in and investigate further," he said, scanning the group.
Yuan Wan nodded.
Lin Rui took out a small cloth pouch. Inside were a few herbs he had "borrowed" from the Alchemy Division—the pungent "Mind-Waking Grass" and some "Azure Iris Leaves" that could neutralize weak toxins.
They approached the two cultivators from the Celestial Law Division guarding the entrance. Feng Baiye flashed his Xuanfa Hall token. "Pardon the intrusion. We'd like to go inside again."
One of the exhausted guards complained, "Enforcer Feng, it's not that we won't cooperate, but we've searched this blasted place eight times. There's nothing left."
"It is our duty," Feng Baiye said, his expression unchanged. The two guards sighed and waved them through.
The inside of the ruins was even more sinister. Unknown vines crept up the dilapidated walls, and moonlight cast a mosaic of strange shadows on the ground. Feng Baiye and Yuan Wan walked in front, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings. Following behind, Lin Rui's gaze swept over every corner, while Xu Yu muttered to himself as if recalling some ancient text, and Baobao's nose constantly sniffed the air.
"The foul yin energy here is much denser than in ordinary ruins," Xu Yu whispered. "The Records of Zhuyun Town's Ley Lines mentioned that a weak branch of a yin-sha ore vein runs beneath this site. Old Eccentric Mo likely chose this location for that very reason."
Lin Rui's eyes fell on a corner of a wall. The stonework was slightly different. He walked over and tapped it. "It sounds hollow."
Feng Baiye and Yuan Wan were there in an instant. The rhombus-shaped jade in Yuan Wan's hand began to glow, the light pulsing more rapidly as she brought it closer. "Traces of a cloaking artifact," she stated. "Mid-tier Earth-grade."
Feng Baiye pressed his Xiao against the stones and channeled spiritual energy into it. With a series of soft clicks, the stones collapsed inward, revealing a dark, gaping hole. A wave of air, thick with the stench of iron and rot, washed over them.
"We found it!" Baobao whispered excitedly.
"The three of you, wait here," Feng Baiye's tone was unquestionable. "The situation below is unknown."
Yuan Wan added gravely, "If there's any trouble, signal immediately." With that, their figures blurred, and they leaped into the opening.
Lin Rui, Xu Yu, and Baobao exchanged a look. Lin Rui wasn't used to entrusting his safety completely to others. He made a "follow me" gesture and slipped silently into the tunnel. Xu Yu and Baobao followed close behind.
The tunnel was dark and damp, the ground slick. "It still smells like burnt Azureheart Wood," Baobao whispered.
They hadn't gone far when Feng Baiye's angry, hushed voice came from up ahead. "What are you doing following us? Go back, now!"
Just as Lin Rui was about to speak, his instincts screamed a warning. He felt a subtle shift in the air currents. "Watch out, it's a trap!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than dozens of short arrows, glowing with a ghastly green light, shot out from the walls. At the same time, the flagstones beneath their feet clicked sharply.
Feng Baiye and Yuan Wan acted simultaneously. Feng Baiye's Xiao let out a clear, ringing note, the sound waves deflecting the arrows. Yuan Wan, meanwhile, drew her greatsword and, with a flash of light, shattered the rubble that was beginning to fall from the ceiling.
After a frantic scramble, the trap subsided. Everyone was drenched in a cold sweat.
"That was close!" Baobao patted his chest, still shaken.
Feng Baiye's face was grim. "I told you it was dangerous."
The rhombus-shaped jade in Yuan Wan's hand was now flickering erratically. She focused for a moment, her brow furrowed. "The Spirit Web fluctuations here are indeed extremely chaotic, and…" She hesitated, her tone uncertain. "There are faint signs of a 'Void Web' phenomenon at the edges. The Xuanfa Hall's High-Risk Analysis of Spirit Web Nodes mentions that certain powerful heretical rituals can cause localized regions of the Spirit Web to develop 'shadows,' where information transfer and spiritual energy circulation are severely disrupted."
Feng Baiye picked up where she left off.
"But this is different from the way the 'Shadow Abyss' actively manipulates the Void Web. This feels more… naturally formed. It seems this Mo Chong is even more trouble than we thought."
The tunnel was deep. After what felt like an eternity, a faint light finally appeared up ahead.
Feng Baiye approached the opening, listened intently, then carefully sniffed the air. "This exit most likely leads to that abandoned mining area on the north slope of Cold Pine Ridge," he said gravely. "Not far from Zhuyun Town as the crow flies, but the mountain path is treacherous."
They filed out one by one, and the space opened up before them.
It was a massive, subterranean cavern that had clearly been artificially expanded. A few long-burning lamps, fueled by beast oil, hung from the ceiling, casting a dim light. In the center of the cave, a crude but deeply malevolent forge was in full view.
Beside it, a gaunt, disheveled middle-aged man was gesticulating wildly at a man-high metal puppet. The puppet was pieced together from dark metal, with rough joints, its surface covered in twisted, vine-like patterns that radiated an unsettling chill. The man's expression was maniacal, his fingers thin as twigs. He was tremblingly pouring a foul-smelling, dark-green liquid over the puppet's head.
"Awaken… my child… Inherit the glory of the Ink-Mark Forge… Devour their ignorant flesh and blood…" he rasped, his eyes shining with a morbid fanaticism.
All around the workshop were scattered failed metal parts and the stark white skeletons of animals, likely sacrifices for some heretical ritual. The group hid in the shadows, observing with bated breath.
Lin Rui's eyes were locked on the puppet's vine patterns. At first glance, they resembled the pattern on the black-cloaked figure's sachet, but he soon noticed a subtle difference. The patterns on the puppet were much cruder, the lines stiff, as if chiseled on with brute force. They lacked the exquisite, detailed malevolence of the sachet's design.
This looks more like an ancient totem of a specific artisan sect, not the uniform symbol of an organization, he thought. Perhaps the black-cloaked figure is someone else entirely.
At that moment, the middle-aged man snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes staring directly at where they were hiding. "Who's there?! Who dares to spy on my 'Divine Workshop'!?" he shrieked.
As he roared, two crimson lights flared to life in the eyes of the metal puppet. With a grating screech, it staggered to its feet.
"Kill them! My children, tear them to pieces!" Mo Chong—the last heir of the Ink-Mark Forge—screamed hysterically, slamming his hands on the ground.
From the shadows, two cruder-looking metal puppets crawled out and charged stiffly toward the group. At the same time, several ceramic jars in a corner exploded, spewing a yellow-green toxic smoke. A few inconspicuous metal pipes also began to emit a piercing hum, a crude sound attack that could still disrupt one's mind.
"Watch out for the poison smoke and the sound waves!" Feng Baiye shouted, his Five-Elements Xiao already at his lips.
"[Five Tones to Suppress Evil · Shatter Evil, Cleanse the Mind]!"
The music flowed like a clear spring, instantly washing away the foulness in the air and dispersing the piercing hum. Yuan Wan let out a sharp cry, her greatsword already unsheathed. The blade glinted coldly as she fearlessly charged the most complete of the metal puppets.
CLANG!
The greatsword slammed against the puppet's hard metal arm, erupting in a shower of sparks. Yuan Wan's stance was solid, her sword style powerful and wide, actually forcing the heavy puppet back step by step.
Lin Rui, Baobao, and Xu Yu had intended to provide support, but one of the puppets, missing an arm, bypassed the main battle and lumbered straight toward them, the claws on its one good hand glinting menacingly.
Baobao yelped and instinctively tried to hide behind Lin Rui. "Holy shit! Why's this one coming for us?!"
Lin Rui's eyes narrowed. He didn't retreat, but advanced.
He knew that while these crude puppets were strong, they were bound to be slow and full of weaknesses. His footwork was agile, and he cleverly used the scattered debris for cover, avoiding the puppet's direct charge. The puppet's claw missed, smashing into a piece of scrap iron with a deafening crash.
Lin Rui ducked low, slipped under the puppet's arm, and simultaneously drove his right elbow viciously into the joint at its waist—a weak point he had identified in an instant.
CRACK!
With a sharp snap, the puppet's movements visibly faltered.
Seeing this, Lin Baobao's courage grew. He slapped his storage pouch, grabbed a handful of colorful things, and hurled them at the puppet's head.
"Nice one, Lin Rui! Eat my 'Unbeatable Spicy Dried Fish'! And have a taste of Baobao's 'Love-Filled Stinky Tofu Bomb'!"
The colorful snacks pelted the puppet. The super-spicy spirit-pepper powder seemed to make its nonexistent "nose" twitch, and the pungent smell of the specially fermented bean curd made the surrounding air indescribably pungent. The puppet was clearly distracted, flailing its arm clumsily.
Seeing his chance, Xu Yu immediately pulled a yellow talisman from his robes and shouted, "By the power of thick earth, let stone take form! Manifest!"
The talisman ignited without a flame, transforming into a yellow light that shot into the ground. The earth trembled, and three simple, man-high stone figures emerged, effectively blocking the metal puppet's pursuit.
Mo Chong saw this, and his eyes flashed with rage. He pulled a black ocarina from his robes and puffed out his cheeks, blowing into it with all his might.
"Hmph, a bunch of ants!"
The sound from the ocarina was even more shrill and piercing than before, carrying a maddening, malevolent power. Lin Rui felt his head grow heavy, and the scene before him started to swim. Lin Baobao was already crouched on the ground, clutching his ears.
Feng Baiye's music suddenly soared, sharp as clashing metal.
"It's a 'Mind-Bewitching Demonic Sound'! Everyone, steady your minds!"
Yuan Wan's assault was also affected. The main metal puppet took the opportunity to slam into her, forcing her back two steps.
Xu Yu fought through the discomfort and shouted, "The Manual for Identifying Malevolent Artifacts mentions 'Yin-Bone Flutes,' soaked in the blood of resentful souls, to play demonic sounds that directly attack a person's spirit!"
His warning was like a thunderclap to Feng Baiye. His peripheral vision caught Lin Rui and Lin Baobao, clearly affected, and his expression changed drastically.
"Petty tricks! You dare to show off your paltry skills before me?!"
With a sharp cry, Feng Baiye's figure suddenly became ethereal, his body dissolving into a wisp of green smoke, leaving a blurry afterimage.
"Flowing Emblem Seven Changes!"
In the instant he thought Shadow!, he had vanished. The next moment, with the thought Pursue!, he had appeared like a phantom right in front of Mo Chong. His sleeveless black-and-silver combat robe billowed, outlining the fluid, explosive lines of his muscles. His legs, in particular, were powerfully built, every push-off filled with astonishing speed.
Mo Chong never expected that the guy who had just been playing the flute would be so formidable up close. He barely registered a blur before a fierce gust of wind hit his face.
Feng Baiye's voice carried a hint of cold mockery as his right leg whipped out like a steel whip.
"You really think all I can do is play the flute?!"
Terrified, Mo Chong frantically threw himself backward, barely dodging the kick. Before he could regain his footing, Feng Baiye's assault continued like a relentless tide. A spinning hook kick, a knee strike, a whip kick—every move was clean and sharp, filled with a feral grace.
The two metal puppets, sensing their master was in danger, abandoned Yuan Wan and charged clumsily toward Feng Baiye.
Seeing this, Lin Rui continued to tie up the remaining puppet, shouting, "Baobao, Xu Yu, go help Yuan Wan!"
Xu Yu didn't hesitate. He slapped a talisman on the ground, and an earthen wall shot up, blocking one of the puppets.
"[Kun-Yuan · Earthen Barrier]!"
Not to be outdone, Baobao pulled a handful of faintly glowing "Spirit-Burst Beans" from his pouch and hurled them at the other puppet's head. "Taste my Heavenly Maiden's Scattered Beans!"
Pop! Pop! Pop!
With a few muffled bangs, the beans exploded, enough to make the puppet freeze for an instant.
Seeing the two puppets tied up, Yuan Wan let out a sharp cry. Her greatsword erupted in a brilliant light, and with a flurry of sword-qi, she cleaved a massive gash in the chest of the main puppet.
Feng Baiye seized the opening. His assault on Mo Chong grew even more ferocious. He performed a swallow-flip, dodging a clumsy swing from a puppet, his legs scything through the air. Mo Chong was no physical cultivator; he couldn't withstand such a brutal onslaught. He screamed in pain as the ocarina in his hands clattered to the floor and shattered.
Without Mo Chong's control, the metal puppets slowed, and under the combined assault, they soon fell apart into piles of scrap metal.
Feng Baiye kicked Mo Chong to the ground, where he curled into a ball, blood trickling from his mouth. He stared at the wreckage around him, his eyes filled with despair.
"Why… why did it end like this…" he muttered hoarsely. "I just… wanted to prove myself…"
Feng Baiye looked down at him, his voice ice-cold. "Prove yourself? By using these heretical paths, harming innocent people, and creating terror? Is that what you call proving yourself?"
Mo Chong snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot and crazed. "What do you people know?! I've lived my whole life in that old bastard's shadow! Everyone said I was trash, a disgrace to the Mo name! I stumbled upon his fragmented manuscript by chance—it was my only hope! I swore I would forge a 'Divine Weapon' that surpassed his, a 'Soul Armament'! I wanted to show everyone that I, Mo Chong, am not trash!"
He pounded the ground, his voice breaking into a sob.
"I just wanted to create the strongest puppet… I didn't know… I didn't know the mist would turn the people outside into… that… I didn't know…"
His voice grew softer, eventually dissolving into a despairing whimper. All his obsession, all his madness, had turned to dust. Everything he had striven for was nothing more than a twisted dream.
Outside the ruins of the Ink-Mark Forge, the sky was beginning to lighten.
The Enforcers of the Xuanfa Hall had formed a perimeter. Several cultivators from the Celestial Law Division were assisting them, carefully sealing the metal wreckage and broken ceramic jars tainted with foul energy. The nauseating smell of iron and burnt matter had faded, but a faint, cold chill still lingered.
Yuan Wan was directing several low-level disciples, who were tying up Mo Chong securely and stuffing a cloth soaked in a special potion into his mouth to prevent him from spouting more nonsense. She was holding a compass-like artifact, carefully surveying the ruins and occasionally frowning as she took notes.
Feng Baiye was much more relaxed. He dusted off his hands and walked over to Lin Rui's group, a hint of fatigue on his face, but his eyes still bright.
"Alright, the rest of this is a job for the Celestial Law Division. This Mo Chong is a tough nut, but once he's in the Xuanfa Hall's interrogation rooms, we have ways of making him spill everything."
Just then, a middle-aged woman in a simple blue dress, her hair neatly combed, hurried over with two apprentices. She carried a medicine box and looked concerned.
"Enforcer Feng, Enforcer Yuan." The woman first bowed to them, then her gaze fell on Lin Rui, Baobao, and Xu Yu. "Young friends, you must have been frightened. I am Zhao Yulian, a hired apothecary for the Lin family's Alchemy Division. The Patriarch heard you were involved and sent me to see if any foul energy afflicted you."
Hearing she was from the Alchemy Division, Baobao rubbed his nose sheepishly. "Granny Zhao, we're… we're okay. Just a little spooked."
Zhao Yulian smiled warmly and motioned for her apprentices to hand them several jade talismans that emitted a faint, clean fragrance. "These are 'Mind-Cleansing Jade Talismans.' They can help disperse any residual yin-sha energy. You should carry them on you for a few days."
Lin Rui accepted the talisman. It was cool to the touch and carried a fresh, herbal scent.
Feng Baiye, noticing Lin Rui's thoughtful expression, spoke up. "Lin Rui, we owe you our thanks this time. If it weren't for the clues you provided, we would have likely wasted a lot more time."
Yuan Wan also gave a rare nod, though her expression remained impassive.
The next morning, on the street outside the ruins, most of the Xuanfa Hall's Enforcers had withdrawn, leaving only the Celestial Law Division personnel to conduct the final lockdown.
A sturdily built young man with dark skin, carrying a man-high chest wrapped in beast hide on his back, was curiously observing the sealed-off area. He was about nineteen, dressed in coarse work clothes, the muscles on his exposed arms corded from years of labor. He had an honest smile, but his eyes held a unique focus.
The young man saw Feng Baiye standing by the cordon and approached him boldly. "Honorable Immortal Master, may I ask what happened here?" His voice was loud and clear, with the straightforwardness of a mountain dweller.
Feng Baiye turned to look at him. Seeing his attire and the chest full of blacksmithing tools, he guessed his profession. "There was some malevolent activity here last night. The Xuanfa Hall has already cleaned it up. You're… a blacksmith?"
The young man smiled honestly. "Immortal Master has a sharp eye! My name is Qin Lang, a wandering blacksmith. I was passing through and was hoping to find some special materials for forging, and also to ask if there were any great master artisans in Zhuyun Town."
Just then, two Celestial Law Division cultivators walked out carrying the last basket of shattered metal fragments. Qin Lang's gaze was immediately drawn to the debris. He subconsciously took a few steps closer, his nose twitching slightly.
"Huh?" he said softly, pointing at the dark metal shards. "Is this… Ink-Patterned Iron?"
A look of surprise flashed in Feng Baiye's eyes. "You recognize it?"
"Heh, my village has been dealing with these iron lumps for generations. This Ink-Patterned Iron is rare, but I can still recognize it." Qin Lang carefully examined the patterns on the shards, his brow slowly furrowing.
"Tsk, tsk, what a waste. The refining method for this 'Ink-Patterned Iron' has gone completely down the wrong path. You see," he pointed to some fine cracks in the patterns, "this is what happens when you forcibly infuse foul yin energy into the iron, using heretical arts to create the patterns. On the surface, it looks strange and intimidating, but it has actually damaged the material's own spiritual nature. The iron has become brittle and coarse, completely useless for any serious purpose."
He paused, his voice filled with a mix of regret and a craftsman's dedication to proper technique. "The true, ancient method involves a thousand hammer blows, tempering with the righteous energy of heaven and earth. The patterns form naturally and contain a sharp essence within. They're warm to the touch. Nothing like this stuff, which is full of sinister yin energy."
He shook his head, seeming deeply pained by such a sacrilegious waste of materials.
"Oh, my apologies for disturbing you, Immortal Master. I still need to find a place to stay. Farewell!"
With that, he shouldered his heavy toolbox and walked away with great strides toward the market.
In the Lin family compound, within Lin Rui's small courtyard.
On the stone table were several plates of pastries that Baobao had packed up, along with some refreshing side dishes Xu Yu had brought from home. The three of them sat together, the atmosphere much more relaxed.
Baobao took a large swig of spirit-fruit wine and patted his chest. "That was seriously scary! Those metal things were so creepy! And that Mo Chong, completely insane. Scarier than the villains in the storytellers' tales!"
Xu Yu said gravely, "Obsession is a poison. Mo Chong was blinded by his obsession with revenge and proving himself, which is why he walked down the wrong path."
Lin Rui ate in silence, his mind elsewhere. Mo Chong's fate was his own doing, but his twisted obsession had given him a deeper understanding of the "human heart." In this world, strength was important, but the cultivation of one's character was perhaps even more critical.
Baobao nibbled on an osmanthus cake. "Lin Rui, what are your plans now? We did a good thing. Do you think the clan will give us any rewards?"
Lin Rui shook his head. "Rewards are secondary. After this, I feel more than ever that I'm too weak. I plan to continue studying alchemy. Second Uncle promised to help me repair the cauldron my father left behind. Once it's fixed, I can start refining elixirs. And, of course, I need to raise my cultivation level."
He looked at Baobao and Xu Yu. "What about you two? We've been through thick and thin together. What are your plans?"
Baobao slapped his chest. "Of course I'm going to keep following you, Lin Rui!"
Xu Yu, however, grew thoughtful. "I still want to read more books. I was only able to help this time because of all the miscellaneous texts I've read. Besides, I'm becoming more and more interested in the path of talismans. Perhaps I'll study it more deeply."
As they were speaking, the three of them simultaneously felt a faint warmth spread through their bodies, as if an invisible, warm current was flowing through their limbs and into their dantians.
Lin Rui looked within himself and found that the single wisp of "vegetal vitality" in his body had grown stronger. This is… positive feedback from the Spirit Web!
Baobao let out a surprised "Ah!" Beside him, a bright light flashed in Xu Yu's eyes. He subconsciously held out a finger, and a faint point of spiritual light condensed at his fingertip, though it vanished in an instant.