Night had fallen deep, and Lu Xuan lay sprawled spread-eagled on his bed.
He had been pulled through the dual regimen of nourishing food and a medicinal bath.
Now, the lightness that followed his complete transformation engulfed him like a warm tide.
He emptied his mind and thought of nothing.
Even his breathing grew long and steady.
Before long, he slipped into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning.
Only when the first ray of sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto his face.
Did Lu Xuan slowly awaken.
According to what Qian Daoliu had said yesterday, he was free to do as he pleased today.
Lu Xuan stretched luxuriously.
The bones throughout his body let out a series of crisp pops.
Abundant soul power circulated through his meridians.
He rolled out of bed, and the moment he stepped out of the bedroom, an exquisite red sandalwood box on the round table caught his eye.
"What's this?" Lu Xuan walked over curiously and gently undid the box's clasp.
Inside lay an ancient-looking bracelet, neither metal nor wood, its surface set with a lustrous, milky-white piece of jade.
Lu Xuan's eyes lit up. With his knowledge of soul tools, he recognized it immediately. Wasn't this a Storage Soul Tool?
He eagerly extended his soul power into the bracelet.
The next second, Lu Xuan could not help drawing a sharp breath.
The storage space was not large, but several things inside stood out: several bags of Gold Soul Coins.
There was also a golden token.
Lifelike Six-Winged Angel wings were carved along its edges, while a single large character was engraved in bold, sweeping strokes at its center-
"Lu."
"Angel wings-this clearly represents the Worship Hall. Presumably, this is a token of my identity."
Lu Xuan took it out and played with it in his hand, his fingers rubbing over its cold patterns.
Warmth welled up in his heart.
Presumably, Qian Daoliu had left it here.
"Perfect. With this money, I can go into the city today and buy a batch of rare metals, then find someone to forge a dedicated set of engraving knives, to prepare for making soul tools!"
Lu Xuan happily slipped the bracelet onto his wrist, and it automatically fitted itself to him.
Then he turned and entered the Washroom to wash up.
Just as his mouth was full of foam and he was brushing his teeth up and down.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on his door.
Lu Xuan opened it with the toothbrush between his teeth.
Outside stood a girl about thirteen or fourteen years old and roughly one hundred sixty centimeters tall.
She wore the standard long dress of a Spirit Hall maid, her hands nervously twisting together as she stood there ill at ease.
When the door opened, revealing a finely sculpted little boy with a mouthful of white foam.
The girl visibly froze, but then hurriedly bowed deeply, her voice carrying a hint of a tremor:
"Y-Young Master Lu, hello. My name is Xiaoyu. The Great Enshrined assigned me to attend exclusively to your daily needs from now on!"
"Well..." Lu Xuan blinked, removed the toothbrush from his mouth, and said indistinctly, "Come in first. Let me rinse my mouth."
As though granted a pardon, Xiaoyu hurriedly straightened. Watching Lu Xuan's small figure turn back into the room, she quickly said, "Um, Young Master, please finish washing up. I'll go fetch your breakfast!"
With that, Xiaoyu scurried away like a startled little rabbit.
After finishing the breakfast Xiaoyu brought him, Lu Xuan wiped his mouth and prepared to head out.
"Young Master, where are you going? Would you like me to show you the way?" Seeing this, Xiaoyu immediately followed him dutifully.
"I'm going to wander around the city and buy a few things." Lu Xuan waved a hand, his tone relaxed but leaving no room for argument. "Just stay in the hall. You don't need to follow me. I'll feel freer on my own!"
With that, Lu Xuan strode out of the Worship Hall.
Spirit City, the absolute holy land in the hearts of soul masters across the continent.
Was now displaying its unparalleled prosperity.
The broad streets teemed with carriages and people, while the shops lining both sides offered a dazzling array of wares.
Lu Xuan arrived at the largest Trading Market in the city center.
There were no scenes of people looking down on others or getting into disputes.
In this place, even the children running along the streets might be the offspring of some high-ranking member of Spirit Hall.
Identifying metals was, of course, also covered in his comprehensive knowledge of soul tools.
Drawing on the soul tool knowledge in his mind, Lu Xuan became the most exacting connoisseur in the Metal Trading Area.
He spent his Gold Soul Coins without hesitation, scouring the area for metals and only stopping once he had filled the entire storage space.
Afterward, he asked around and found the most renowned Blacksmith Shop in the city.
Under the blacksmith's astonished gaze, Lu Xuan smoothly drew up plans for a complete set of over thirty engraving knives in varying shapes.
Though each engraving knife was small, the different shapes of their blades gave them different functions.
"Well... Young Master, these engraving knives may be small, but the metals you require are extremely difficult to forge. Your precision requirements are simply unheard of, and the workload is enormous!"
"Money isn't a problem. What I want is absolute perfection! How long will it take?"
"At least half a month!"
"All right, I won't rush you. I'll come to collect them in half a month!" After paying the deposit, Lu Xuan left the Blacksmith Shop.
After leisurely wandering around the city for a long time and having lunch, Lu Xuan set off back toward Spirit Hall, thoroughly satisfied.
As he passed through a secluded garden on the outskirts of the Worship Hall.
His relaxed mood was interrupted by a muffled sound.
"Waaah..."
Intermittent sobs, full of hurt, drifted from a small pavilion not far away.
"Why... Why does Mom hate me so much? What did I do wrong...?"
The voice sounded somewhat young, yet carried an unmistakable desolation.
Something stirred in Lu Xuan's heart, and he curiously softened his footsteps and approached.
Through the willow branches hanging around the pavilion, he saw a petite figure curled up beside the pool.
It was a girl wearing a luxurious pale-gold dress.
She buried her face deep between her legs, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably with violent sobs.
In the sunlight, her brilliant golden hair, spilling down like a waterfall, looked especially dazzling, yet held an endless loneliness.
Lu Xuan stopped short, his pupils contracting slightly.
Long golden hair.
Here in Spirit Hall.
Yearning for her mother's love, yet deeply loathed by her.
A name suddenly surfaced in Lu Xuan's mind.
Wasn't this Qian Daoliu's granddaughter, Bibi Dong's daughter.
That tragic girl who bore the grudges of the previous generation and had grown up amid cold looks and verbal abuse.
Qian Renxue?
Qian Renxue seemed to notice someone approaching. She wiped her eyes, then lifted her head and turned around.
Her gaze met Lu Xuan's directly.
Her eyes were rimmed red, her violet-like irises carrying faint ripples.
Those eyes were practically identical to Bibi Dong's.
Only, Bibi Dong's eyes held madness.
While Qian Renxue's held sorrow.
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