Ch. 601Advanced Mechanism Arts!
Plot points and events
- Qin Fen returns home with Nian’s egg, which he casually calls a “bouncy ball.” He tells his parents he’ll stay two days and try to come home for weekend dinners, and reflects that he should finally devote proper attention to reopening his teahouse.
- Meow-Meow visits to report on a captured thief. Qin Fen deduces that the animals deliberately let events unfold so they could follow the trail to the people behind the theft.
- The thief was taken from them by someone called Old Gun and brought to a farmhouse near an orchard. Qin Fen decides not to go there that night, judging that the case involves another group and that the thief is only a low-level accomplice.
- Qin Fen instructs Meow-Meow to keep watch and sends Little Bean back to guard the house. His priority remains uncovering information about the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl.
- Thinking about his need to improve his fashion-design work, Qin Fen considers buying Luban’s Missing-One School, an advanced form of Mechanism Arts. It costs three thousand merit, and its ominous reputation—its practitioners supposedly suffer disabling injuries or misfortune—makes him hesitate.
Character development and interactions
- Qin Fen shows affection for his parents by promising more frequent visits, but remains practical and focused on business and his larger goals. His sharp deductions repeatedly frustrate Meow-Meow, who had hoped to impress him. He also admits he needs to develop his own design skills rather than rely on Weaver Girl.
- Meow-Meow is eager to show off its investigation and prove its usefulness, but Qin Fen reads its motives and strategy almost immediately. Despite its annoyance, it accepts his instructions.
- Qin Fen and his parents share a brief, warm domestic exchange, though his father is puzzled by Qin Fen’s claim that Nian’s egg is a toy.
Significant themes
- Intelligence and deduction: Qin Fen infers the animals’ plan and the involvement of a second group from small details, reinforcing his exceptional perceptiveness.
- Responsibility and long-term priorities: Rather than rushing into a confrontation, he chooses surveillance and keeps his attention on the more important search for the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl.
- Ambition versus risk: Qin Fen wants the abilities Mechanism Arts could provide, but its high cost and frightening legends give him pause.
- Family and work-life balance: He recognizes that easy money has distracted him from his teahouse and resolves to spend more time with his family.