I attained sainthood through alchemy on the cliff.

Chapter 44 Feeling Like a Thorn in My Back

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That evening, Heishan'ao was once again stirred up by a piece of news.

The dignified Silver Blade Guard who had killed Master Liu did not leave. Instead, he took his icy maid and found an old wooden house in the village that had been vacant for a long time and was next to the blacksmith's shop.

The owner of the wooden house is Old Man Wang from the west end of the village. His son died young, and his wife passed away last year. He lives alone in the empty house.

When the Silver Knife Guard's maid (Qingluan) placed twenty taels of pure white silver in his rough palm, Old Man Wang was so frightened that he almost knelt down. He dared not refuse and handed over the house deed with trembling hands. He didn't even dare to take the few remaining dilapidated belongings in the house and was "invited" to stay temporarily in the village's ancestral hall.

Twenty taels of silver! In Black Mountain Pass, that's enough to buy three to five wooden houses like this and still have some left over! It's like a windfall.

When the news spread, the villagers were both in awe and curious, watching from a distance, but no one dared to approach the wooden house that had suddenly become "noble".

Inside the blacksmith's shop, the furnace still burned.

Chen Shan's hammer swing was a fraction slower than usual, and each strike seemed heavier.

He seemed oblivious as sparks landed on his calloused hands.

Yang Jin squatted in the corner sorting iron materials. His face, hidden beneath the charcoal ash, was expressionless, but deep within his lowered eyes, like an undercurrent beneath a calm lake, surged rapidly.

"They stayed... right next door."

Through their mental connection, he had already allowed Atu to lurk in the deeper layers of the earth, and Ah Huo obediently concealed all his presence, nestling in his arms.

"Is it for the Earth Core Fire Lotus and the Earth Vein Jade? Or... did they discover me?"

Chen Shan stopped hammering, picked up the tongs, and dipped the red-hot iron block into the water. With a "sizzle," white steam rose, blurring his inscrutable expression.

"Those who come with ill intentions, those with good intentions don't come." Chen Shan's voice was extremely low, almost drowned out by the sound of quenching. "The Silver Blade Guards and the Jing'an Division don't come here without a reason. If they only wanted to close the case, they should have left after executing Liu Zhenwei. But now they're stationed here..."

He raised his eyes, his cloudy gaze seemingly able to penetrate the earthen wall and look at the neighboring house: "Either, there is something they are determined to obtain here. Or... there is someone they are determined to obtain here."

Yang Jin felt a chill run down his spine.

Chen Shan's meaning couldn't be clearer.

He had already consumed the most valuable Earth Core Fire Lotus in the cave. What remained was the Earth Vein Jade Marrow, and... the possibility of exposing himself as an "Insect Controller".

"I still have some Earth Vein Jade Marrow left... but I absolutely cannot reveal it." Yang Jin's mind raced. "Their target is very likely the Earth Vein Jade Marrow..."

"Let's wait and see." Chen Shan tossed the cooled iron block aside, picked up another piece of pig iron, and put it back into the furnace. "If they don't make a move, we won't move either. You're the 'hero' of Black Mountain Pass, and I'm an old blacksmith with one foot in the grave. Let them investigate, let them investigate. It's just a matter of waiting it out."

Yang Jin nodded silently.

He knew Chen Shan was right.

Shen Qingyun's strength is unfathomable, at least at the Refining Realm, and her maid Qingluan is also at the peak of the Bone Refining Realm.

There is absolutely no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.

The only way to deal with this is to remain still and rely on his familiarity with the terrain, Atu's ability to conceal himself, and his current public identity as a "victim and hero."

However, having two venomous snakes coiled at one side was like having thorns in one's back.

In the days that followed, Heishan'ao seemed to return to its usual rhythm on the surface, yet something different was evident everywhere.

Shen Qingyun and Qingluan lived a secluded life, spending most of their time in the wooden house, occasionally venturing out to stroll leisurely through the village.

Shen Qingyun always wore a warm smile, nodded to the villagers he met, and would even ask about their harvest and daily life, appearing as an approachable young nobleman.

But his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, would always linger for a moment longer whenever they swept over the blacksmith's shop.

Qingluan was always cold and aloof, following Shen Qingyun closely, indifferent to everything around her. Only when her gaze occasionally swept towards the direction of the mine behind the village would a sharp glint appear in her eyes.

They had also "casually" walked into the vicinity of the abandoned mine entrance, but did not go deep inside, only circling around the perimeter, as if they were really just curiously exploring.

Yang Jin then completely quieted down, playing the role of "apprentice" well. Every day, besides blacksmithing and helping out, he would return to his small, dilapidated house to "rest".

He spent most of his time quietly practicing the power generation techniques and qi and blood condensation of the "Three Strikes of Broken Mountain," as well as maintaining a secret contact with Atu and monitoring the movements underground and in the village.

Atu's evolution is now fully solidified, and his underground stealth and reconnaissance abilities have reached new heights.

Following Yang Jin's instructions, it carefully avoided areas that might be explored, while monitoring the soil beneath Shen Qingyun's residence and digging two more secret escape routes.

Shen Qingyun seemed extremely patient and was in no hurry to take any obvious action.

But the invisible pressure, like a gradually tightening net, loomed over the blacksmith shop and weighed heavily on Yang Jin's heart.

It was dusk on this day.

Yang Jin was tidying up the shop, preparing to close it.

The door to the wooden house next door creaked open.

Shen Qingyun walked out alone, her moon-white brocade robe gilded with a warm gold in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He strolled over as if it were just an after-dinner walk, and happened to stop in front of the blacksmith's open door.

"Master Chen, are you still working?" Shen Qingyun asked gently, her gaze fixed on Chen Shan's hunched back.

Chen Shan paused, slowly turned around, and his face hardened with his usual coldness, tinged with humility: "My lord. I'll take it now. I'm getting old, my hands and feet are slow."

"It's alright." Shen Qingyun smiled slightly, but her gaze casually swept over Yang Jin, who was tidying up his tools. "This young brother is the 'Yang Jin' who led the villagers to escape from the underground cave that day, right? He is indeed a young hero with a calm demeanor."

Yang Jin's internal alarm bells rang, but on his face he displayed just the right amount of awkwardness and a hint of apprehension at being noticed by such an important figure. He put down his tools, gave an awkward bow, and mumbled, "Sir...you flatter me. It's everyone's...good luck."

"Luck?" Shen Qingyun's smile deepened as her gaze swept over Yang Jin's seemingly ordinary arm, which was covered in charcoal ash, and then looked at his hands, which hung down but had distinct knuckles and exuded a sense of strength. "To be able to find a way out in such a desperate situation, to command with composure, and even... to kill a powerful enemy, that's more than just luck."

Shen Qingyun's words were precise and sharp, as if she had already seen through the surface and pointed directly to the essence.

He paused, his tone still casual: "I heard that Brother Yang is from this village, and was harmed by the Sun family father and son. After being resurrected, he came to seek refuge with Master Chen? I wonder how he was resurrected? And how he learned such martial arts skills at the Body Refining Realm?"

What's been waiting for has finally arrived!