The sound of hammers in the shop sounded on time every day, from early morning to dusk. Qin Tiexin became more and more focused when he was forging iron, hammering one after another, as if he wanted to put all his thoughts into the iron.
Tu Dazhu's wedding is scheduled for the sixth day of next month. The new house has been decorated, and it is located in a small courtyard across the street behind the shop. Although it is not big, it is kept clean. Liu Wan'er comes occasionally to help mend the bedding and buy some small items. Every time he comes, Tu Dazhu is grinning and works particularly hard.
Zhou Cang's prosthetic leg became more and more familiar with it, and now he can walk around the shop without crutches. He sat by the fire and gave instructions to Zhou Nan, and occasionally moved his hands and did some simple repair work.
Everything seemed peaceful.
But Qin Tiexin knew that something was moving underneath this calmness.
After finishing work every evening, he would practice boxing for half an hour in the yard. It was not the regular routine before, but the fighting technique used on the battlefield - simple, direct, and deadly. The wind of boxing roared in the yard, causing the leaves of the old locust tree to fall again and again.
At night, he closed the doors and windows, lit the oil lamp, and took out two things from the secret compartment under the bed.
It was also the sword Lin Feng. The blade was long and narrow, and there were fine cracks on the edge, but the whole thing was still intact. He held the hilt of the sword and gently stroked the faint lines on the sword's spine with his fingertips - those were the remnants of "Spirit Pattern Circuit".
Illustrated Catalog of Ten Thousand Artifacts vibrated slightly in the sea of consciousness. On the dark golden pages, the records about this sword were slowly increasing. Whenever he concentrated on perception, those damaged lines would vaguely appear in his consciousness, like a broken map. He couldn't see the whole picture, but he could feel a certain pattern.
The other thing is the small jade bottle.
Qin Tiexin Unplugged the cork, and the aroma of Spirit Awakening Pill filled the air. Smelling this aroma, he always felt that his spirit was clear, and the fatigue from practicing boxing for days would dissipate a lot. But he didn't dare to eat - don't eat things you don't understand. This is the truth taught by his master.
He poured out the elixir and put it under the lamp to take a closer look. There were fine lines on the surface of the pale golden elixir, like naturally growing veins. Sometimes when he stared at it for a long time, he would feel that those lines seemed to glow slightly, but if he blinked, it seemed like an illusion.
Putting these two things together, Qin Tiexin always feels that there is some connection between them. The sword is used by cultivators Law Artifact, and the elixir is the pill taken by cultivators. But as a blacksmith, how come he is related to these things?
He couldn't figure it out, so he had to put it away first.
***
The atmosphere at Zhao Residence is getting more and more depressing.
After Zhao Ming was buried, Zhao Xuan seemed to have changed. Although he was serious before, he was still energetic. Now he has a gloomy face all day long, and his eyes are scary cold.
Lady Xue didn't dare to say much, so she held the child and tried to avoid him. The waiters in the house were even more frightened, fearing that they would get into trouble.
Zhao Xuan spends more and more time shutting himself up in the study.
He deliberately let Zhao Ming steal "Spirit Awakening Pill", otherwise he would never be able to find where he hid it with Zhao Ming's two brushes.
The business of Heavenly Craft Workshop is getting better and better. In the future, as long as the profit reaches the top three, there will be a chance to get Spirit Awakening Pill. However, if this coin is not given to Zhao Ming, there will be no chance in the future.
Qi Refining Third Layer's immortal cultivators may sound impressive, but they are only limitedly stronger than ordinary people. They couldn't even defeat Li Zhenwei at first. Xue Household hoped that he would be tied up in their house until he could no longer survive. It was hard to tell whether Heavenly Craft Workshop's surname was "Zhao" or "Xue".
Originally, Zhao Xuan agreed to let Zhao Ming go and temper his temper, but he didn't expect...
Zhao Ming's body was found, but the elixir was still missing.
Zhao Xuan is not a fool.
Zhao Ming Why go to Emerald Cloud Mountain? There is nothing there except tombs. And Qin Tiexin went to visit tombs during the Qingming Festival, the time and place were right.
He needs evidence.
Or, no evidence is required.
***
Three days later, the moon was dark and the wind was high.
Qin Tiexin As usual, he closed the door of the shop and went back to the house to light the lamp. He first checked the few knives he made today. He put them down when he was satisfied with the edge, hardness and balance.
Then he took out the sword and jade bottle.
He looked at the sword first, rubbed the sword's spine with his fingers, and closed his eyes to feel it. These days, his perception of the damaged Spirit Rune became more and more clear. Although he still couldn't understand it, he could feel that they once formed a complete circuit, like a ditch where water flowed, but now the ditch is broken and the water has dried up.
After watching for about a quarter of an hour, he put down his sword and picked up the jade bottle.
The moment he poured out Spirit Awakening Pill and took a closer look under the lamp--
An extremely slight sound came from the roof.
It's like a tile being stepped on, or like a night owl passing by.
Qin Tiexin paused. He slowly put down the jade bottle and blew out the lamp.
The room fell into darkness. Only a little light came from the window, and the outline of the object could barely be seen.
He sat still, breathing lightly. His ears stood up, catching every movement outside the house.
There is no sound.
But he knew that there was someone.
The intuition tempered on the battlefield is warning - danger is very close.
He quietly stood up, touched the wall, and picked up the Edgeless Saber leaning there. The blade was heavy and cold in his hand.
On the roof, Zhao Xuan was lying on the tiles, with his eyes pressed against a thin crack.
The room was dark, but his Qi Refining Third Layer's eyesight was far beyond ordinary people's. He could see the silhouette of Qin Tiexin sitting at the table, and saw the sword and jade bottle placed on the table.
When he saw the jade bottle clearly, his breath suddenly stopped.
That's his Spirit Awakening Pill! You can't go wrong!
Look at the sword again - when Qin Tiexin's fingers touched the sword body, Zhao Xuan's spiritual sense vaguely sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual power. Although it was very weak, the fluctuation was pure and concise, and it was definitely not something ordinary iron could have!
Supreme-Grade Semi-Law Artifact!! Where did he come from?
These two thoughts burned like fire, making his eyes red.
The enemy who killed your son is below. The hatred for taking the pill is right in front of you. There is also a priceless Semi-Law Artifact!
The value of this Law Artifact is far higher than that of Spirit Awakening Pill. If you can get it...
Greed and hatred intertwine, and reason breaks down instantly.
Zhao Xuan no longer hesitated. With his hands Hand Seals, he read an obscure syllable in his mouth - it was the lowest level in the world of immortality, "Mind-Confounding Incantation", which can impact the sea of consciousness of mortals and make people lose consciousness.
The curse was completed, and an invisible wave shot straight into the house!
Qin Tiexin was on alert when he suddenly felt as if his head had been hit by a hammer, there was a buzzing sound, and his vision went black.
But he didn't fall.
The mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield, as well as the forging of A Thousand Hammerings and a Hundred Refinements, had long since sharpened his will as hard as iron. He just shook his head, shook his head, and refocused his eyes.
Almost at the same time, the second Law Technique of Zhao Xuan arrived.
A fireball the size of a fist appeared out of thin air, trailing flames and smashing through the window, directly towards the door of Qin Tiexin!
The heat wave is coming!
Qin Tiexin did not retreat. He swung the knife almost instinctively - Edgeless Saber swung it with all his strength, the majestic Qi and Blood surged through his body, and the blade actually let out a low whistle!
"Bang!"
The fireball collided with the blade and exploded into sparks all over the sky!
Qin Tiexin was so shocked that he took two steps back and his arms were numb. But he stood firm and still held the knife.
Sparks splashed onto his body and burned several scorch marks, but he didn't even frown.
On the roof, Zhao Xuan was stunned.
Mind-Confounding Incantation is invalid? Fireball Technique was smashed apart with a knife? How is this possible?!
There was no time to think about it, so he gritted his teeth and cast the spell again. He pressed his hands on the roof and poured in spiritual power - "Earth-Binding Vine!"
The ground inside the house suddenly cracked, and several vines as thick as arms broke out of the ground, wrapping around Qin Tiexin's legs like snakes!
Although it is hard to believe that fireballs and vines appeared out of thin air, now is not the time for Qin Tiexin to think.
His eyes were sharp, and he did not retreat but advanced. He took a step forward, stepped on a vine with his left foot, exerted force with his right foot, rotated his body, and Edgeless Saber slashed horizontally with the power of rotation!
"Tsk-"
The vine broke in response, and dark green juice flowed from the section.
But there were still two strands wrapped around his left leg. Qin Tiexin gave a low shout, and the muscles in his left leg stiffened, stretching the vines so hard that they rattled, and at the same time, he reversed the knife in his right hand and stabbed downwards!
The tip of the knife pierced the ground and pinned the vine. He struggled with his left leg, and there was a "pop" sound, and the vine broke.
All this happened in just two or three breaths.
The movement outside the house has alarmed others.
"Brother Qin!" Tu Dazhu's roar came from next door, followed by the sound of banging on the door.
Zhou Cang also woke up and rushed out with a cane. "What's going on?!"
Zhao Xuan felt even more anxious when he heard the human voice. He knew he couldn't delay it any longer - either make a quick decision or leave immediately.
Greed overwhelms reason.
A ruthless look flashed in his eyes, and he Hand Seals with his hands again. This time the Method Formula was more complicated and took longer - Ice Cone Technique, the most lethal among the low-level Law Technique!
Qin Tiexin inside the house felt the chill in the air. He raised his head and looked at the hole in the roof.
There, an ice cone about three feet long was condensing, and the tip of the cone was filled with cold light.
There is no time for hesitation.
Qin Tiexin took a sharp breath, and his muscles tightened, and his whole body was like a fully charged bow. He kicked off his feet and threw himself in the direction of the ice pick!
Just when the ice pick is about to shoot out--
In the night sky, two sword lights flashed across like shooting stars, arriving in the blink of an eye!
"Be bold!"
The loud shouting sounded like thunder, making people's eardrums hurt!
Zhao Xuan's Method Formula was interrupted, and the ice cone disintegrated in mid-air. He looked up in horror and saw two monks in black with swords hanging in the air, staring at him coldly.
Both of them wore uniform black outfits with the word "Fa" embroidered in silver on their chests. Their auras were rich and concise, far superior to Zhao Xuan's.
Great Xuan Law Enforcement Squad!
Zhao Xuan's face turned pale instantly.
One of the monks raised his hand to make a false grab, and Zhao Xuan felt that his spiritual energy was stagnant, and his body fell uncontrollably from the roof, and fell into the courtyard with a "bang".
Another monk glanced around the room. Qin Tiexin stood with a knife in his hand, with many burn marks all over his body. His left leg trousers were stained green by vine juice, but he stood straight and his eyes were calm.
"What's going on?" The monk who struck first landed, his voice cold.
Zhao Xuan wanted to speak, but was suppressed by a pressure and could not speak.
Qin Tiexin put away the knife and handed it over. "This person attacked me at night and wanted to kill me."
The monk looked at the traces of the fight in the house - the burnt window frames, broken vines, and ice on the ground. Then he looked at Zhao Xuan: "Are you Zhao Xuan? Heavenly Craft Workshop?"
Zhao Xuan nodded hard.
"Why attack and kill mortals?"
"He... he killed my son! He took my elixir!" Zhao Xuan shouted.
The monk frowned and looked at Qin Tiexin.
Qin Tiexin shook his head. "I don't know his son. I picked up the elixir."
"Picked it up?" Zhao Xuan was extremely angry, "That's Spirit Awakening Pill of Ming'er!"
"That's enough." The monk interrupted, "The Yamen has concluded the case of Zhao Ming's disappearance. He slipped and fell to death. You used Law Technique to attack mortals without any evidence and violated Article 107 of the dynasty's prohibition. Come with us."
Zhao Xuan still wanted to argue, but another monk flicked his fingers and shot out a spiritual light, which sank into his body. Zhao Xuan suddenly froze and could not move.
The two monks set up Zhao Xuan and stood up with their swords. Before leaving, the monk who spoke first took a deep look at Qin Tiexin, and his eyes stayed for a moment on the Edgeless Saber in his hand and the long sword in the room.
"This matter needs to be kept confidential." The monk told Qin Tiexin.
Qin Tiexin nodded, this matter is really shocking to the world.
The sword light went away and disappeared into the night sky.
The courtyard became quiet.
Tu Dazhu and Zhou Cang rushed over. Tu Dazhu saw the injuries on Qin Tiexin's body, and his eyes were red. "Brother Qin! How are you?!"
"It's okay." Qin Tiexin's voice was a little hoarse. He was indeed injured - the high temperature of the fireball burned his arm, the ice pick Cold Qi invaded his meridians, and the vines strangled his left leg and swollen it. But none of them were fatal.
Zhou Cang was leaning on a cane with a solemn expression. "Is that... a cultivator?"
Qin Tiexin nodded.
The three of them were silent. The scene just now was too shocking - flying with a sword, Law Technique, it was a world they had never been exposed to.
"Treat the wound first." Zhou Cang said.
Returning to the house, he lit the lamp again. Qin Tiexin took off his shirt, revealing his strong upper body. His left arm was burnt black, his right shoulder had several frostbite spots, and his left leg and calf were bruised and purple.
Tu Dazhu went to fetch water, and Zhou Cang found ointment. Qin Tiexin treated the wounds by himself, and his movements were skillful - he learned on the battlefield.
After taking the medicine, Qin Tiexin told everyone that tonight's affairs needed to be kept secret. Everyone nodded and saw that he was fine, so they all went back to their rooms.
The moment Qin Tiexin closed the door and sat beside the bed, he suddenly heard a soft "click" sound.
Looking along the sound, it was the Lin Feng sword on the table.
At the hilt of the sword, a tight-fitting mechanism popped open, revealing a small secret compartment. In the secret compartment, a silver silk book as thin as cicada wings lay quietly.
Qin Tiexin was stunned.
He remembered that he had checked this sword many times before and never found this hidden compartment. Was it shaken open by the battle just now? Or was it inspired by the aftermath of Zhao Xuan's Law Technique?
He reached out and picked up the silk book. It was cold in his hand, and its texture was soft, not like paper or cloth.
Expand.
There are densely packed small characters on it, with deep black ink and vigorous handwriting. They are the characters Lin Feng.
First line at the beginning:
"Seeing words is like meeting. I, Azure Xuan Continent Lin Household Lin Feng, will die soon. I leave this book to my brother Qin Tiexin..."
Qin Tiexin's breathing stopped for a moment.