An Opportunity to Refine a Treasured Artifact

"Senior Brother, did you have a good journey?"

"Everything was fine!"

Inside the living room, Fang Heng and Lin Yichen sat facing each other.

Fang Heng instructed a maid to serve Lin Yichen tea, fulfilling his duties as host.

After taking a sip of the spiritual tea, Lin Yichen slowly said, "Junior Brother, the Abbot and Master have agreed to the trade you proposed."

Lin Yichen's words did not surprise Fang Heng.

While movement-type Wondrous Items were valuable, they were still just Wondrous Items.

A five-for-one exchange meant Evergreen Temple definitely profited.

"This is the exchange list that the Abbot and Master discussed and decided on."

Fang Heng took the list and glanced at it. Five Wondrous Items were listed.

In the transaction of the military treatises, from the Crown Prince to the Eighth Prince, all seven, except for the Second Prince who got a head start, purchased their treatises from Fang Heng.

Fang Heng earned a fortune, acquiring a total of eighteen Wondrous Items.

Aside from the two Wondrous Items he refined himself, the Broken Rainbow Sword and the Green Silkworm Jade Armor, the Fire Barbarian received the Profound Fire Claw and the Blazing Emperor Pearl, both fire-attributed Wondrous Items.

The remaining fourteen Wondrous Items were stored in Fang Heng's private treasury within the Prince's manor, to be used for trade or as rewards for his subordinates.

After reviewing the list, Fang Heng instructed his servants to retrieve the Sky-Rending Cone, the Mortal World Token, the Exquisite Jade, the Sea-Suppressing Seal, and the Dragon Scale Sword from the Prince's manor's private treasury.

Five for one, the trade was complete.

Both Evergreen Temple and Fang Heng felt they had come out ahead.

After trading for the Heavenly Gang Sword Orb, Fang Heng could go to the City of Life and Death to complete the transaction with Rabbit Face. Fang Heng had been coveting the Emperor Yuling Chessboard and Emperor Yuling Chess Pieces in Rabbit Face's possession for a long time.

"When does Senior Brother plan to return to the mountain?"

"Stay for a meal at the Prince's manor before you leave!"

Fang Heng said politely. Lin Yichen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"My apologies, Junior Brother. Today is the seventh day since a friend passed away, and I plan to go pay my respects."

With that, Lin Yichen began telling Fang Heng about the memorial.

"Shang Lengyun and I were childhood friends. When we were young, we climbed Evergreen Mountain together and apprenticed at Evergreen Temple."

"I was taken in by my Master, but Lengyun was evaluated as having mediocre spiritual roots."

"Lengyun couldn't stand it and didn't want to be a menial disciple at Evergreen Temple, so he left Evergreen Mountain and became a rogue cultivator."

"Later, by chance, he inherited a formation master's lineage and joined the Formation Court."

The Formation Court was a department under the Ministry of Works. The God Slaying Grand Array above Jade Capital was maintained by the Formation Court.

Lin Yichen took another sip of spiritual tea and continued, "Some time ago, I asked Lengyun to help design restrictions for my Purple Dawn Sword…"

Hearing this, Fang Heng raised an eyebrow and blurted out, "Senior Brother, are you trying to refine a Treasured Artifact?"

"That's right!"

Lin Yichen nodded, not hiding anything.

The biggest difference between a Treasured Artifact and a Wondrous Item was that a Treasured Artifact possessed a spirit.

The spirituality of a Treasured Artifact was comparable to that of a child. To refine a Treasured Artifact, one needed to gain the recognition of its artifact spirit.

If one failed to gain the artifact spirit's recognition and tried to forcefully refine it, at best, the spirituality would be damaged, and the Treasured Artifact's power would be greatly reduced. At worst, the artifact spirit would be unyielding, leading to mutual destruction, taking the Treasured Artifact and perishing together.

It was precisely because refining Treasured Artifacts presented considerable trouble that some Daoist School predecessors found a different approach.

They refined their own Wondrous Items into Treasured Artifacts. Because the Wondrous Items were already refined, even if they were upgraded to Treasured Artifacts, the artifact spirit would not object.

This way, it bypasses the requirement of needing the artifact spirit's approval.

Lin Yichen wanted to set up restrictions within the Purple Dawn Sword to improve its quality, elevating it to a Treasured Artifact.

"A few days ago, I received news from Lengyun saying that the restrictions were mostly designed, nearing completion."

"At the time, I was happy for a whole night."

"I never thought that a few days later, I would receive the news of Lengyun's passing."

Lin Yichen's face showed sadness, loss, and helplessness.

After hearing the story between his senior brother and his friend, Fang Heng nodded slightly and said calmly, "Senior Brother, I'll go with you."

"Shang Lengyun was, after all, an imperial official. As a Prince of a Commandery, I should represent the imperial court and visit his widow."

"Hmm?" Lin Yichen was startled at first, then a look of joy flashed across his face.

"Thank you, Junior Brother."

He was an outsider, and taking care of Shang Lengyun's widow ultimately couldn't compare to a Prince like his junior brother.

Fang Heng also had his own subtle intentions for attending the memorial.

The method for refining a Treasured Artifact!

This made him envious.

Although it was specifically designed for his senior brother's Purple Dawn Sword, it might not be perfectly suited for his Broken Rainbow Sword.

But... another's stone can polish one's own jade.

This refining blueprint still held significant reference value.

The two got into a carriage and headed to the Shang Manor.

The carriage slowly drove through the streets of Jade Capital.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, emitting a dull sound.

In less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at Shang Manor.

At the entrance of Shang Manor, everything was in mourning white.

White streamers hung on the mottled red lacquer gate.

The lanterns on the lintel had also been replaced with white ones.

In the mourning hall, a delicate young woman was weeping, her face tear-streaked and pitiable.

A child of two or three years old seemed not to understand the meaning of everything before him.

He just saw his mother crying so intensely and couldn't help but feel sad himself.

Besides Shang Lengyun's widow, there were over a dozen distant relatives of the Shang family keeping vigil in the mourning hall.

From time to time, covetous gazes fell upon the young woman's shapely rounded hips and slender waist.

They wanted a pretty woman in mourning clothes.

Lengyun's wife is truly beautiful.

No wonder he died young; he must have been drained dry.

An elderly man with white hair walked up to Madam Shang and said in a deep voice, "Niece-in-law Lengyun, how have you considered the matter of Qingque recognizing my second son as his godfather?"

Madam Shang, dressed in mourning clothes, her tear-streaked face beautiful, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Second Uncle, the matter of Qingque recognizing a godfather is of great importance. Please allow your niece-in-law to consider it carefully."

"Lengyun has only just passed away; there's no rush. Let's wait a few more days..."

Before Madam Shang could finish speaking, the white-haired Second Uncle's face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "How can there be no rush?"

"Qingque is still young now and doesn't recognize people. If he recognizes a godfather now, their bond will be better in the future."

"If we wait until Qingque is older to recognize a godfather, that bond won't be as good as if it started in childhood."

"Second Uncle is right. A godfather should indeed be recognized when the child is young for a close bond."

Hearing the persuasive words of the Shang family's distant relatives, Madam Shang clenched her small fists, her knuckles turning white.

She bit her red lip tightly, enduring, trying not to let tears fall.

This scene of forced godfather recognition was witnessed by Fang Heng and Lin Yichen, who had come to pay their respects.

Fang Heng's expression was somewhat grim.

What "recognizing a godfather"?

This was clearly preying on the vulnerable!

"They're exploiting the fact that the family is just an orphaned mother and son, without any cultivation to protect them, to try and seize the Shang family's assets."

"The Prince of Dongdai Commandery has arrived!"

With that announcement, the menacing voices in the mourning hall instantly fell silent.

It was as if a stop button had been pressed, the silence settling in quite abruptly.

Seeing Fang Heng and Lin Yichen, Lady Shang's fatigued eyes immediately flickered with a tremor of hope.

She didn't know the Prince of Dongdai Commandery, but Lin Yichen, her late husband's friend, visited every year.

"This commoner woman greets Your Highness."

"This commoner greets Your Highness."

Everyone knelt in unison, welcoming Fang Heng.

Their loud greetings echoed throughout the entire mourning hall.

"Lady Shang, please rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Fang Heng only allowed Lady Shang to rise, not anyone else.

The group of distant relatives, led by the Shang family's Second Uncle, exchanged glances, a strong sense of unease welling up in their hearts.

Fang Heng paid no mind to the distant relatives' internal reactions, comforting Lady Shang.

"Lady Shang, Lord Shang was diligent and contributed greatly to the nation. The imperial court will not forget him."

"Today, I represent the imperial court in paying my respects."

"If you encounter any trouble, you may come to the Prince's residence to find me."

As he uttered the word "trouble," Fang Heng's peripheral vision flicked towards the distant Shang relatives.

Just that one glance scared the Shang relatives out of their wits.

Hearing Fang Heng's words, Lady Shang immediately burst into uncontrollable sobs, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Thank you for Your Highness's kindness."

"Qingque, quickly, kowtow to His Highness."

"Understood, Mother."

Two or three-year-old Qingque didn't understand the meaning of Fang Heng's words.

He simply followed his mother's instructions and kowtowed three times to Fang Heng.

Afterward, Fang Heng and Lin Yichen walked to the spirit tablet.

With solemn expressions, they lit three sticks of incense and placed them in the censer.

During the memorial, Fang Heng's Heretical Poison Pill let out a faint tremor.

Fang Heng paused.

This unusual stir was the Heretical Poison Pill's innate craving when it encountered toxins.

As for the source of the toxins, it could only be…

The body of Shang Lengyun in the coffin.

Fang Heng felt a hint of suspicion but didn't say anything directly.

After the memorial was complete, Fang Heng and Lin Yichen went to the Shang Manor's study, waiting intently.

"Junior Brother, thank you so much this time."

"It's nothing, just a small favor."

Fang Heng said indifferently, a sigh of emotion welling up in his heart.

As a prince, just one sentence from him could change a family's destiny.

This was the influence his identity as a prince afforded him.

Lin Yichen said no more, but he kept the favor of today firmly in his heart.

If Fang Heng hadn't come today, and he had to deal with the situation of exploiting the vulnerable.

Perhaps he would have cut down all those scoundrels with a single sword stroke.

After a moment, Lady Shang arrived in the study, presumably having dealt with the group of distant relatives trying to exploit them.

"This commoner woman thanks Your Highness for your assistance. In the future, I will gladly serve like an ox or a horse to repay Your Highness's kindness."

Lady Shang bowed gracefully, her heart filled with gratitude.

Lin Yichen's lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something.

Lady Shang, being intelligent, understood Lin Yichen's intention and immediately said, "Immortal Master Lin, Lengyun left a wooden box before his passing, saying it was for you, Immortal Master Lin."

"Now, I shall return the item to its rightful owner."

With that, Lady Shang took a wooden box from the bookshelf and handed it to Lin Yichen.

Lin Yichen took the box, his fingers trembling slightly.

He opened the box to reveal an ancient scroll, densely covered with formations and runes.

It was exactly the forbidden array diagram he had designed for the Purple Dawn Sword.

"Lengyun…"

Lin Yichen murmured, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

Shang Lengyun had already completed the method for the Purple Dawn Sword to advance into a Treasured Artifact.

This truly exceeded Lin Yichen's expectations.

Afterward, Lin Yichen made a copy of the refining method and handed it to Fang Heng.

"Junior Brother, please take this refining method."

Fang Heng didn't decline, gratefully accepting Lin Yichen's kind gesture.

This scroll was the key to refining a Treasured Artifact.