That craftsman actually lived in our apartment building.
But he lived in the basement.
This was both his residence and his workshop.
Compared to Little Demon's home, this place was even messier. All sorts of materials were piled everywhere, along with strange things he had made, some finished and some half-finished.
When we arrived, he was making a crossbow.
The crossbow looked exquisite, and I could tell that its destructive power was probably formidable.
"Master Qi, keeping busy?" Sister Lin greeted him with a smile.
He was a middle-aged man around forty, broad and powerfully built, with a full beard. He gave me more of the impression of a fierce warrior than a deft craftsman.
He gave Sister Lin a sidelong glance, then his gaze fell on me. But he quickly turned away and continued working on what was in his hands.
"Master Qi, this is one of my brothers, and also Heavenly Secrets Hall's new partner," Sister Lin introduced me.
Perhaps because he heard that I was Heavenly Secrets Hall's new partner, he stopped what he was doing and turned back to look at me again.
His gaze made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After roughly ten seconds, he finally asked coldly, "What do you want from me?"
I nodded and told him about my wish to make an hourglass.
When he heard that I wanted an hourglass, he frowned. "What do you need that thing for? There's no use for it in this place. So what if you know the time? Don't tell me you're still thinking about when you'll get out?"
What he said was much the same as what Sister Lin had said: time was completely useless in this place.
After saying that, he waved his hand. "Leave. Don't interfere with my work."
I asked, "Has anyone