After leaving the old house, Tang Heng headed straight for the Blacksmith Association.
He'd just had a small mishap and accidentally teleported inside.
But overall, he'd still been going in the right direction. As soon as he came out, he'd spotted the Blacksmith Association's tower in the distance.
"These Evil Soul Masters' hideout is surprisingly close to the association. They might really be up to something."
Tang Heng muttered under his breath. When he delivered the Enchanting Table later, he planned to tell Zhen Hua and Mu Chen about it and urge them to stay alert, so they could avoid some ridiculous Evil Soul Master attack.
As for Yun Ming, there was no sign that he meant to follow Tang Heng.
It seemed the Sea God Pavilion Master knew how to tell what mattered most.
A Soul Saint had slipped into the city with a Soul Emperor and three Soul Kings, yet nobody had noticed. Either these Evil Soul Masters were exceptionally skilled, or they had informants or protectors in the city.
With Yun Ming's methods, after today, these Evil Soul Masters would either be dragged out and beaten to death, or else be forced to slink around Eastsea City like rats in the sewers.
Before long, Tang Heng arrived at the Blacksmith Association.
As soon as he reached the entrance, a staff member came to meet him.
"Hello, Mr. Tang. Please follow me."
A mature woman in a professional uniform and black stockings gave a slight bow, then walked ahead of Tang Heng to show him the way.
After a winding route, Tang Heng finally met Zhen Hua and Mu Chen.
"You've finally arrived, my young friend! I've been waiting ages!"
The moment Zhen Hua saw Tang Heng, he stood and walked over with a broad smile.
Tang Heng sidestepped him with a quick slide, pulled a ring from his pocket, and tossed it to Zhen Hua. Then he reminded him:
"Everything's in there. Remember, the Enchanting Table and the bookshelves must be exactly one meter apart—no more, no less."
"Of course."
Zhen Hua caught the Sinking Silver storage ring and inspected it with his spiritual power. Once he confirmed everything was in order, his mood brightened considerably.
He'd been experimenting with enchanting these past two days, discovering more and more of its functions.
From his experiments over the past few days, Zhen Hua had found that enchanting could even be applied to weapon-type Martial Souls, granting ordinary weapon-type Martial Souls special properties.
For example, two grandmaster-level blacksmiths at the Eastsea City association had the Silver Iron Hammer and the Black Star Axe as their Martial Souls. After being enchanted, they'd both gained the Durability III and Sharpness IV properties.
The Silver Iron Hammer had also acquired a special enchantment that had never appeared before: Shock.
Zhen Hua felt as if the gates to a whole new world were slowly opening before him.
Enchanting services had already begun an initial trial at the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association. Once they saw the response, he planned to introduce the craft to blacksmith associations across the entire continent.
The other Saint Craftsmen had tried it at the last meeting and had all been amazed, so there'd be no resistance to putting it into practice.
"Would you like to stay for a meal, my young friend? This old fellow Mu Chen's been living the good life here in Eastsea City. The rest of us probably couldn't match him even if we combined our efforts."
Mu Chen's face darkened. Damn Zhen Hua—wasn't that just a roundabout way of calling him a lazy good-for-nothing who'd spent all these years lounging around in Eastsea City?
Damn it, so what if he wanted to lounge around with his wife and kids at home?
What was the word young people used for that?
Oh, right. A loser.
Zhen Hua, you'll be a loser your whole life.
"Hahaha, what can I say? My wife and children all love good food, so there's nothing wrong with spending my spare time honing my cooking skills." Mu Chen smiled and spoke in a clear voice. "Brother Tang, why not stay and join us for a meal? My wife and I will cook together and let you try some of Eastsea City's finest delicacies."
Beside him, Zhen Hua's smile gradually stiffened at those words.
Tang Heng wasn't a fool. The two men were trading barbs, ready to draw swords at any moment, and he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
Na'er was waiting for him at home. He had to get back quickly and recharge his little sister.
"By the way, I ran into a group of Evil Soul Masters on my way here..."
Tang Heng briefly told the two of them what had happened. Zhen Hua and Mu Chen grew solemn as they listened. After a while, they nodded and said they'd work with Yun Ming to root out the Evil Soul Masters who'd infiltrated the city.
With that settled, Tang Heng naturally made himself scarce.
He couldn't be bothered to use Spatial Blink on the way back, so he simply had Mu Chen's driver take him home.
On the way, Tang Heng couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, as if something were about to happen.
"Uncle, could you take me to Haihua Street first? I want to buy something."
"Sure thing! Hold on tight, Young Master Tang."
"Take care, then."
Tang Heng got out of the car and turned to wave goodbye to the driver.
The setting sun had just sunk halfway into the sea, enfolding Eastsea City in a gentle glow of orange and purple.
He hadn't gone far before he spotted a slender figure by the wall.
Na'er stood beneath a streetlight. When the wind rose, it gently lifted her short silver hair, like ripples spreading through the night.
She wore the white dress she'd picked out for herself when Tang Heng had taken her shopping. A violet flower bloomed quietly along its hem.
Back then, her fingertips had brushed that flower, and she hadn't looked at anything else.
The last sliver of sunset fell on Na'er, making her look like a dream that would shatter at a touch. Even the air seemed to grow still.
But Tang Heng still keenly noticed the sorrow in her eyes—
It was the reluctance and uncertainty that rose on the eve of parting, shrouding her gaze like a thin veil.
Tang Heng's heart tightened.
Had her memories returned?
He'd actually had this premonition for a long time. When Na'er helped him cultivate, she gained plenty of benefits herself.
As the Silver Dragon King's source was replenished, her true personality would awaken. It was just happening far too soon—nearly two years earlier than in the original story.
Na'er's current state was probably about more than just regaining her memories.
The Ferocious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest had probably already made contact with her.
The Silver Dragon King's memories were quietly returning.
The instant responsibility and destiny settled on her shoulders, the little home where she'd once found refuge suddenly seemed like a warm dream that was already fading.
"What are you doing out here? Be careful not to catch a chill from spending too long in the sea breeze."
The moment Tang Heng came into view, the unfocused purple in Na'er's eyes abruptly brightened.
She held back the tears welling in her eyes and forced a radiant smile—
But to Tang Heng, that smile was like a flower blooming in the rain: the more gloriously it opened, the closer it came to fading.
"Welcome home~"
Na'er ran over and threw herself into Tang Heng's arms.
Unlike before, this time she held him with such force that it seemed she wanted to meld herself into him.
"I brought you something. Want to see?"
Tang Heng gave the bag in his hand a little shake.
Na'er bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Inside were a few things: a packet of Chicken Cartilage, a box of braised beef, and a crown woven from violets.
Na'er raised her head and met Tang Heng's gaze.
She felt that Brother Heng had seen through everything, but he chose to remain silent. He only reached out and gently tucked the lock of hair the wind had tousled behind her ear.
Like a promise that didn't need to be spoken, it settled in the wind.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
Tang Heng held Na'er's trembling body tighter and looked toward several figures who had suddenly appeared on the street behind them.
No one could take Na'er away from him.
No one.
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