Qiao An Flees, Wushan Immortal's Cave

"It really seems possible."

Song Chengan looked at the iron ingot in his hand.

"It's purer than the iron ingot Hong Ying forged during the day."

"But it doesn't seem to have much significance."

Song Chengan pondered, looking at the iron ingot.

He had initially thought that this could allow low-level cultivators to refine higher-quality magic tools.

But at this moment, he suddenly realized.

This was a world full of cultivators. For cultivators, Alchemy, talismans, and artifact refining were all derivatives of cultivation.

Their fundamental pursuit was high cultivation and eternal life.

Not forging more powerful magic tools.

They only needed to cultivate. As long as their cultivation increased, they could naturally forge powerful magic tools at will.

There was no need to research how to enable a Dao Seed Realm disciple to forge a magic treasure.

He wondered if the Demon Subduing Staff in his hand had a chance to evolve into a low-grade magic treasure.

The grades of magic tools were divided into Magic Treasures, Spirit Tools, and Divine Treasures, with each grade further divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade.

The Demon Subduing Staff in Song Chengan's hand did not even reach the level of a low-grade magic treasure.

At most, it could be considered a mortal weapon inscribed with formations.

"Let me see the iron ingot in your hand."

Hong Ying said.

It was only then that Song Chengan realized it was dawn.

He had been so immersed in forging the iron ingot that he had forgotten the time.

Hong Ying had appeared beside him at some point.

Song Chengan handed the iron ingot in his hand to Hong Ying.

Hong Ying took it and examined it, her eyes lighting up.

"The quality is even better than what I forged."

"You're not a blacksmith, and this is your first time dealing with artifact refining."

"How did you do it?"

Song Chengan did not hide anything.

"It was the Mysterious Sand."

"Mysterious Sand can extract impurities from Blood Jade Stone, improving its quality."

"How did you discover this?" Hong Ying's eyes widened.

"It was an accident. I accidentally dropped a piece of Mysterious Sand into it."

"This seems very useful."

"You've made a great contribution."

Song Chengan asked, "Is it really useful?"

"An iron ingot like this can only be used to make slightly better mortal weapons. Those magic treasures use immortal gold and divine iron as raw materials. Those divine materials are extremely pure and don't require this method."

Hong Ying shook her head. "You're right, but it's not absolute."

"Those top-tier magic tools naturally won't need it, but besides those top-tier magic tools, the Fire Refining Sect also helps the Chen Kingdom's army forge weapons and armor."

"This method will greatly improve the quality of the weapons and armor forged."

"Do you think the reason why newly admitted disciples have been practicing forging this iron ingot all these years is because manufacturing and selling weapons and armor is one of the Fire Refining Sect's most important industries?"

"You're a genius," she exclaimed.

"It was just luck. As long as it can help the sect..." Song Chengan said.

He had just tried it casually with the Void Heaven Mirror...

Hong Ying was somewhat excited.

She was happy for Song Chengan.

"You've made a great contribution."

"The sect actually has several subordinate sects that have been forging weapons and armor for the Chen Kingdom's army all these years, but in recent years, the Divine Weapon Valley has risen, and the sect has lost most of its orders from the Chen Kingdom."

"A large portion of the sect's income relies on these orders."

"With your method, the sect might be able to regain the lost orders."

"You don't have to be a Menial Disciple anymore!"

"With this merit, you can directly become an outer disciple, and even have a chance to become an inner disciple."

"I'll take you to see Elder Hong!"

Song Chengan was startled when he heard this.

"Senior Sister Hong, can we go a little later this afternoon?"

"I'm really too sleepy," he said quickly.

"That's right, you stayed up all night. Then you go rest first, and I'll come find you this afternoon, and we'll go see Elder Hong together."

As Song Chengan was about to leave, he saw an old man being escorted down the mountain by several elders of the Fire Refining Sect. He subconsciously looked over.

"It's the head of the Wei River Zhu Family."

"The Vermillion Fruit in our sect has ripened, and he wants to ask for one."

"His grandson was seriously injured."

"But the five Vermillion Fruits of the sect were already allocated before they ripened, so there are no extra ones for him."

Seeing Song Chengan's curiosity, Hong Ying said casually.

"Senior Sister knows so much about sect matters?"

Hong Ying nodded. "I heard it from a friend. He's been here a few times."

"Uncle Qiaoan, why are you only back now?"

Back at the menial disciple's courtyard.

Yuan Fusheng looked at Song Chengan and asked strangely.

"I got you some porridge from the kitchen. You should drink it first."

Song Chengan said.

"It was Senior Sister Hong. She asked me to watch the furnace for her last night."

"Oh, oh."

Yuan Fusheng struggled to get up and drink the porridge.

He still felt a bit groggy.

So, after drinking the porridge, he fell asleep.

"Elder, what's wrong?"

Qiao Wei asked cautiously.

As soon as he entered, he saw Hong Lang and Hong Ying with serious expressions.

He didn't know what had happened, but he had a keen sense that there might be trouble.

Because the last time Elder Hong was this serious was when he embezzled half of his subordinates' monthly pay and it ended up with the disciplinary elder.

"You said Qiao An is your nephew?"

Qiao Wei's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Could it be that Qiao An had caused some major trouble?

"Perhaps... maybe?"

Elder Hong was so angry he almost died.

"What do you mean 'perhaps'?"

"If yes, then yes, if no, then no. Is he or isn't he?"

"I'm not sure either."

Qiao Wei's face was full of misery.

"He chatted with me and said he was my distant nephew."

"And you believed him?"

Elder Hong said irritably.

Qiao Wei said, "I didn't believe him either. Didn't I write a letter back to the village to ask?"

"It's true that there's a nephew, and his name is indeed Qiao An."

"Did you verify the letter?"

"How could I verify it?"

Elder Hong was so angry he almost died.

"What did he give you?"

"A Wonderful Grass Pill."

Qiao Wei fumbled for a long time before finally taking out the Wonderful Grass Pill.

"You..."

Elder Hong stared at him for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.

"Forget it, forget it, get out of here."

He could only say helplessly in the end.

Qiao Wei immediately scurried away upon hearing this, but after a few steps, he couldn't help but look back.

"Elder, my pill..."

"Take it and get lost."

Elder Hong picked up the iron embryo on the table.

"This method can indeed work."

"But the problem now is, what is this Qiao An's identity?"

"This letter... it looks like he's absconded..."

There was also a letter on the table.

It only had one sentence.

Elder Hong, thank you for your care. I think Mount Luofeng is too hot and I can't stand it.

And then nothing else.

There was no signature.

But Hong Lang knew who wrote it.

"The menial disciple who lived in the same courtyard as Song Chengan, Yuan Fusheng, was drugged."

"A medicine that makes people drowsy, and then he thought he was sick and lay down for a few days."

"But it's nothing serious," Hong Ying said.

Hong Lang looked confused: "Qiao An's actions are so strange."

"If he really is a spy, then as a menial disciple who has only been here for a few days, what secrets could he steal?"

"The secrets of our Fire Refining Sect's artifact refining, let alone a menial disciple, even inner sect disciples who are not personally taught by core elders cannot access them."

"It's too strange."

"And when this person left, he gave us such a great gift."

"The sect has been in a terrible state for years because of the Divine Weapon Valley, but now as long as this iron embryo is delivered to the Prince, all problems will be solved."

Hong Ying didn't understand either.

Because from her interactions over the past few days, she truly felt that Qiao An was not a bad person.

Of course, he didn't seem like a down-on-his-luck scholar either.

Wait!

Hong Ying suddenly thought.

That's right.

Except for the first day they met, when Qiao An was wearing worn-out clothes and looked haggard.

After that, when did he look like he was down on his luck?

"Did Grandpa Hong send so many people and still couldn't catch him?"

Hong Lang shook his head: "This Qiao An clearly knew we were looking for him."

"He hired eight carriages, which left Yanghua Town at different times and from different directions."

"I chased all the carriages, but he wasn't in any of them."

"If my guess is correct, he has already left Yanghua Town by now."

"Who exactly is he? He seems like a spy, but his actions are not at all similar to those of a spy."

"He didn't gain any benefits at all, why did he leave in such a hurry?"

"Perhaps he has already obtained what he wanted," Hong Ying hesitated, guessing, "It's just that we don't know what this thing is."

"What could he have obtained?"

Hong Lang said: "The few meals he ate in the dining hall, or that introductory artifact refining book you casually threw to him?"

Hong Ying didn't know either.

She asked, "Then Grandpa Hong, are we still going to continue investigating?"

Hong Lang shook his head.

"My recent actions have already aroused suspicion from others."

"If we continue to go to great lengths to investigate Qiao An's identity, it will inevitably arouse the curiosity of others."

"He left... let's just assume he really left because Mount Luofeng was too hot. We'll take it slow, and there will be opportunities to meet again in the future."

"With this person's insight, he will never be an unknown figure in the Chen Kingdom in the future."

"Then what about this Mysterious Sand forging method?"

Hong Ying pointed at the iron blank on the table.

Elder Hong pondered for a moment and said, "Just say you discovered it."

"This method is very important to the sect, so we can't be careless."

"But..."

Elder Hong asked, "Are you worried about Qiao An returning later?"

"There's no need to worry."

"If he returns, as long as he clarifies his identity, I will naturally give him satisfactory compensation."

He looked at Hong Ying with affection in his eyes.

"What kind of person do you think your Grandpa Hong is? Am I an old fool who steals his juniors' achievements?"

"This contribution is also very important to you. With this contribution, the sect will invest more resources in cultivating you."

"Among the younger generation of the Hong family, you are the most promising."

"When I'm no longer around, you'll be the only one who can protect them."

"Grandpa Hong, you..."

Hong Lang waved his hand with a smile.

"I'm talking about the future. Your Grandpa Hong can still live for quite some time!"

Hong Ying didn't say anything more.

She also knew how important this method was to the Fire Refining Sect. It was only right and proper to present the Mysterious Sand forging method.

However, she couldn't say that Qiao An invented it.

Because if she did, the Fire Refining Sect would definitely investigate Qiao An's identity with all their might.

She felt that this was not good.

Since Qiao An acted this way, he probably didn't want to reveal his identity.

She could only wait for a future opportunity to meet Qiao An and explain it to him.

"By the way, Grandpa Hong."

Hong Ying hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Those villages where the Hong family has relatives, you can't agree to everyone who comes to you for help."

"You are a great cultivator of the Golden Core realm!"

"And one of the seven great elders of the Fire Refining Sect!"

"But what do those people in the family think of you? Even distant relatives dare to come to you for help!"

"Don't they know the weight of a great cultivator in the Golden Core realm!"

Hong Ying was helpless.

It was because this Grandpa Hong had too good a reputation in his hometown.

No matter how distant the relatives, as long as they were struggling, they dared to come to Yanghua Town to ask Hong Lang for help.

And Hong Lang never refused anyone.

Even if he didn't agree at first, if they asked a few more times and cried a little, Hong Lang's heart would soften and he would agree.

Hong Lang said, "How could I not know this principle?"

"It's just that when I left back then, everyone gave me a piece of bread, or an egg. We gathered together in small groups."

"I've long forgotten who helped me back then, so I just consider that everyone helped me."

"Besides, Yanghua Town also needs people!"

"I just thought, it's better to use our own people than outsiders."

"I just didn't expect Qiao Wei to be so excessive, disguising an outsider as one of our own and sending him in."

"I need to have a good talk with him later."

"Just talk?" Hong Ying was exasperated.

"No, it's punishment. He'll be confined for a few months."

"Grandpa Hong has no choice. They are all villagers. When they come begging, I can't just ignore them all."

Hong Ying took a deep breath, "Grandpa Hong, no matter how great the connections, a hundred years have passed."

"Every year you go home, you give everyone silver. Even when you haven't gone back in recent years, you've sent plenty of silver."

"Some idle men in the village do no work, yet they live more comfortably than those who toil from dawn till dusk, all thanks to Grandpa Hong."

"What connections? All of that should have been repaid over the years."

"You little girl, you're lecturing your Grandpa Hong now."

Hong Ying said coquettishly, "I'm not lecturing Grandpa Hong."

"I'm just worried too many clan members will tarnish Grandpa Hong's reputation."

"It's not that I'm saying Grandpa Hong shouldn't help the family."

"Don't the elders in the sect often recommend their own family juniors and relatives to enter the Fire Refining Sect?"

"I just hope that when the elder helps these relatives in the future, he will first verify their identities, and then ensure they meet the sect's requirements, rather than playing favorites."

"I know, I know, you little girl, you've made Grandpa Hong feel so ashamed."

He chuckled, his words filled with doting affection.

Hong Ying's parents died when she was young, and he and his wife raised her.

By generation, she was his grandchild, but in reality, she was no different from a daughter.

"I will definitely be careful in the future."

"This time I was deceived by that scoundrel Qiao Wei. I never expected that guy to be so bold."

"He certainly needs to be taught a lesson."

Wushan Mountain.

Everything proceeded according to Song Chengan's plan: let Yuan Fusheng sleep for a few days, then he would patrol the furnace for him, and finally use the Earth Fire in the furnace to refine the Southern Bright Illusory Fire True Qi.

The only unexpected event was that iron embryo.

But fortunately, it was a close call. At that time, Hong Ying didn't expect Song Chengan to run away. When she went to find Song Chengan that afternoon, he had already left.

Song Chengan disguised himself and left Yanghua Town.

He had initially planned to return directly to Lingqiu.

But as he passed Wushan Mountain, he suddenly heard that a celestial's cave dwelling had appeared in the mountains.

Upon hearing this, Song Chengan couldn't miss out and went straight there.

He wanted to see if he could pick up some Magic Treasures.

"Immortal, I want to have my fortune told."

"Tell me if my mother's illness can be cured."

Song Chengan looked up.

It was a child carrying a medicine basket.

Seeing Song Chengan look over, he immediately lowered his head.

His voice was somewhat timid.

"I don't have money. Can I use medicinal herbs?"

He put down the medicine basket and rummaged through the pile of herbs inside, finding one.

"This is Mountain Dragon Grass. The shopkeeper said it can calm the nerves and aid sleep."

A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face: "Okay."

Yesterday, he had absorbed the Dao Fruit of Divination Art, and since the celestial's cave dwelling had not yet appeared, he had thought of passing the time by telling fortunes here.

He hadn't expected that after only a short while, his first customer would arrive.