Lin Che was woken by the noisy commotion from the workshop the next morning. He rubbed his throbbing temples—he'd barely slept the night before, thanks to the shadow outside his door, and had only managed to doze off as dawn approached.
When he got up to wash up, he deliberately checked the birthmark on his wrist. The pale silver mark lay quietly against his skin, showing no signs of abnormality; only when he brushed his fingertip over it could he feel a faint pulse of energy. Lin Che let out a breath, pulling his sleeve down to cover it completely.
By the time he reached the front courtyard, the other apprentices were already at work. Boss Wang stood on the steps, holding an account book and yelling at a few apprentices: "You all saw Steward Zhao yesterday! The Zhao family is looking for someone important right now. If any of you dare to hide something, you'll not only get yourself in trouble—you'll drag the entire Rusty Iron Workshop down with you!"
Lin Che's heart sank. It was clear Zhao Kun's "check" hadn't been a one-time thing; Boss Wang was deliberately warning everyone—especially him.
"Lin Che! What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and move the scrap parts from the forging room!" Boss Wang's roar snapped Lin Che back to his senses. He quickly agreed and hurried toward the forging room.
The forging room reeked of iron rust and sulfur, with piles of discarded mechanical parts scattered across the floor. Some still bore black scorch marks from arcane energy explosions. Lin Che rolled up his sleeves, ready to lift the parts, when a familiar voice sounded behind him: "Lin Che, didn't you sleep well? You look terrible."
He turned to see Su Qing walking in, carrying a wooden basin filled with tools for cleaning parts. Concern showed in her eyes as she reached out, as if to feel his forehead—but Lin Che dodged the gesture instinctively.
"I'm fine. Just caught a little cold last night," he forced a smile. He didn't want to worry Su Qing, let alone drag her into the trouble of his birthmark.
Su Qing frowned, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't press further. Instead, she lowered her voice: "After Zhao Kun left yesterday, I saw his men lingering around the workshop. You have to be extra careful these days—try not to go anywhere alone."
Warmth spread through Lin Che's chest. He nodded: "I know. Thank you, Sister Su Qing."
After a few more reminders, Su Qing turned to leave. Watching her back, Lin Che made a silent resolution: he had to figure out the secret of his birthmark as soon as possible. Once he was strong enough, he'd never let Su Qing worry about him again.
Taking a deep breath, he started moving the scrap parts. Strangely, the work felt much easier than usual. Before, even lifting a medium-sized part had left him straining, but today he could carry two at a time without breaking a sweat. Lin Che paused, suddenly recalling the warm energy that had surged from his birthmark the night before—had that energy somehow strengthened his body?
The thought filled him with excitement. He tried channeling his arcane energy; it was still weak, but it flowed faster than before, and the meridian nodes that used to block it now let it pass smoothly.
"So those past-life memories didn't just give me clues—they actually boosted my physique," Lin Che thought, feeling a new burst of energy as he worked.
Just as he finished moving the last pile of parts and was about to wash his hands, a cold voice sounded behind him: "Lin Che, come with me."
Lin Che turned to find Zhao Kun standing at the forging room door, flanked by two men in black uniforms. Zhao Kun's gaze fixed on Lin Che's hands, a meaningful smirk tugging at his lips: "Steward Zhao, did you need something from me?"
"What do you think?" Zhao Kun stepped inside, sizing Lin Che up. "Heard you stayed late moving parts yesterday? For an apprentice at Mortal Rank Initial Stage, you seem surprisingly strong."
Lin Che's heart tightened—Zhao Kun was testing him! He quickly lowered his head, feigning timidity: "I… I just took my time. Rested when I got tired. I'm not that strong."
"Is that so?" Zhao Kun stepped closer, suddenly grabbing Lin Che's right wrist. Lin Che's heart jumped into his throat; he instinctively tried to pull away, but Zhao Kun's grip was iron-tight.
A faint pulse of arcane energy from Zhao Kun's fingertips seeped into Lin Che's wrist, as if probing his arcane fluctuations. Lin Che held his breath, forcing his arcane energy to stay steady, determined not to let Zhao Kun detect anything unusual.
After a few seconds, Zhao Kun let go, his brows furrowing slightly: "You really are Mortal Rank Initial Stage. Guess I was overthinking."
Lin Che let out a quiet breath of relief, about to say "thank you for your understanding" when Zhao Kun's tone suddenly sharpened: "But I heard you hurt your left hand yesterday? Why are you keeping your sleeve pulled down? Let me see."
Lin Che's heart plummeted, cold sweat breaking out on his back. He quickly hid his left hand behind his back, shaking his head: "N-no injury. Just scraped it a little yesterday—it's fine now. No need to look."
"Scraped it? What's the harm in letting me see?" Zhao Kun's expression turned cold. He stepped forward, reaching for Lin Che's left hand. "Or are you hiding something on your left hand that you don't want anyone to see?"
Lin Che stumbled back, crashing into the pile of parts behind him. "Crash!" The parts scattered across the floor. Zhao Kun's men immediately stepped forward, grabbing Lin Che's arms and pinning him against the wall.
"Roll up his left sleeve!" Zhao Kun snapped. One of the men reached for Lin Che's sleeve.
Lin Che struggled wildly, but his strength was no match for these men who practiced arcane energy daily. As his sleeve began to slide up, exposing the edge of the birthmark, despair washed over him—was he really going to be captured by the Zhao family like this?
Just then, the forging room door burst open. Su Qing ran in carrying a basin of water, and when she saw the scene, her face paled. "Stop! What are you doing?!" she shouted.
Zhao Kun turned to her, frowning: "This has nothing to do with you. Get out."
"I won't!" Su Qing rushed forward, positioning herself between Lin Che and the men. "Steward Zhao, Lin Che is just an ordinary apprentice. His left hand really is injured—I gave him ointment yesterday. Isn't this a bit too much, forcing him to show it?"
Zhao Kun stared at Su Qing, his eyes sharp with scrutiny: "You say he's injured? Do you have proof?"
"Of course I do!" Su Qing pulled a small porcelain jar from her pocket, handing it to Zhao Kun. "This is the ointment I gave him—it's from Huichuntang in the city. You can go ask them! His wound isn't healed yet; getting it wet would infect it. If you force him to show it and the wound gets worse, who's going to take responsibility?"
Zhao Kun took the jar, twisting off the lid and sniffing it. It was indeed ointment for external injuries. He looked at Su Qing's resolute expression, hesitating—Su Qing was the most talented apprentice in the workshop, and Boss Wang valued her highly. Offending her over Lin Che might anger Boss Wang. Besides, Lin Che really didn't seem special. Maybe he had been overthinking.
"Hmph, you're lucky," Zhao Kun tossed the jar back to Su Qing, glaring at Lin Che. "Don't let me catch you hiding things again. Next time, I won't be so lenient."
With that, he turned and left the forging room with his men.
Lin Che collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath, his back soaked in sweat. Su Qing hurried over, straightening his sleeve and asking anxiously: "Are you okay? I was so scared just now."
"I'm fine… thank you, Sister Su Qing," Lin Che's voice trembled. If Su Qing hadn't arrived in time, he would have been taken by the Zhao family already.
Su Qing looked at his pale face, doubt in her eyes: "Lin Che, be honest with me. What are you hiding on your left hand? Why did Zhao Kun insist on seeing it?"
Lin Che opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know how. He looked at Su Qing's concerned eyes, torn—telling her the secret of his birthmark would drag her into danger, but keeping it from her felt like betraying her trust.
Just as he hesitated, Boss Wang's roar echoed from outside: "Su Qing! Lin Che! What are you doing in there? Hurry up and get back to work!"
Su Qing sighed, patting Lin Che's shoulder: "Fine, don't tell me if you don't want to. But you have to be careful. Zhao Kun won't give up that easily. Next time, I might not be able to help you."
Lin Che nodded, guilt weighing on his chest. As he watched Su Qing leave, he touched the birthmark on his wrist and suddenly realized—he had to leave Rusty Iron Workshop as soon as possible. The Zhao family's search was getting tighter; staying here would not only put himself at risk, but also endanger Su Qing and the entire workshop.
But where would he go after leaving? And how would he find the truth about his star marrow birthmark?