Back in the Tiankun Curious Land, Qi Yuan had collected forging methods and studied them.
The Tian Clan, to which Remnant Robe belonged, had once suffered the erosion of the Black Sky; their world teetered on the brink before ultimately being destroyed.
The Tian Clan had continuously sought to forge a curious treasure of light, hoping to use it against the Black Sky, only to fail in the end.
In the end, Remnant Robe had even given Qi Yuan a gift known as the Embryo of Light.
"Is this the same world?"
"Are they merely on opposite ends of a timeline?"
"Or... is it simply that both have forging methods?"
After all, forging methods were not necessarily unique to the world where the Tian Clan had lived.
Moreover, the implement crafting methods of this realm had also been passed down from beyond the heavens.
"This... counts as a good thing," Qi Yuan muttered to himself.
"Does this make me like an Immortal Venerable returning to the city?"
"Or perhaps a mighty figure reborn five hundred years in the past, clutching advanced, high-precision forging methods?"
Back in the Tiankun Curious Land, Qi Yuan had memorized many forging methods, but plagued by a lack of materials, he had never put them into practice.
He looked at the basic manual of implement crafting and began to study it intently.
"To forge an implement, one must awaken a heart fire..."
The methods of implement crafting were both hard and not hard for Qi Yuan.
Back in the Tiankun Curious Land, he had practiced and studied extensively.
Though the forging methods of this realm showed some differences, different paths led to the same destination.
Qi Yuan mastered them quickly.
"In the path of implement casting, the heart fire is the soul.
Blazing fire illuminates the furnace, smelting all things.
The heart fire arises from the heart, circulates through the dantian, and is nurtured in thought..."
"Rise!"
With Qi Yuan's soft shout, a faint flame flickered to life within his heart, burning brighter and brighter in his dantian.
As Qi Yuan stretched out his hand, the wisp of flame flared vigorously in midair.
"It isn't immortal magic—what an interesting flame."
Looking at this wisp of white flame, Qi Yuan felt a spark of curiosity.
Back in the Immortal Realm, he could summon flames with a mere Dao technique.
However, the essences of the two flames were different, and the principles behind their appearances diverged as well.
"The world holds many Great Daos: the Immortal Dao of the Immortal Realm, the Martial Dao of Arch Star, and now here..."
"Old man, go fetch me some materials. Just say I want to craft implements," Qi Yuan instructed.
Having ignited his heart fire, Qi Yuan was now ready to forge implements.
"I need Withered Wood Mysterious Bamboo, Iron Spear Water..." Qi Yuan told Chen Kangbao the items he required.
According to the forging methods Qi Yuan had obtained in the Tiankun Curious Land, these materials could be used to craft a flight-type artifact.
If Shen Lingxuan refused to let him ride her in the future, then he would ride a flight-type artifact instead.
However, Qi Yuan didn't know whether the Shen family had these materials or not.
If they didn't, he would have to step in, adapt the forging method, and find substitute materials.
"All right." Chen Kangbao swallowed his steamed bun and headed out to gather materials for Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan continued to temper his heart fire.
Whether an implement master was powerful also depended on the vigor of their heart fire.
After all, if the heart fire was too weak, burning out after just a moment so that it couldn't even fry an egg, how could it temper an artifact?
Before Chen Kangbao returned, unexpected guests arrived in the courtyard.
"Brother-in-law, this is someone from the Disciplinary Hall here to ask you a few questions. Just answer however you like; no need to be nervous."
Shen Lingfeng brought in a gaunt, middle-aged man. Stern and unsmiling, the man was a Yellow-rank weapon wielder.
He glanced at Qi Yuan and said in a low voice, "Routine business."
"Ask away." Qi Yuan already had an idea of what this was about.
Presumably, Shen Baiting's corpse had been discovered.
If word leaked out, it would be quite unfavorable for Qi Yuan right now.
The gaunt man produced a notebook and a brush.
"When the son-in-law was in Ninghe County, you encountered a guiling and had your soul seized by it?" the gaunt man asked.
At the same time, a glint of eerie light flickered in his eyes, seemingly inspecting whether Qi Yuan's soul was intact.
"I did encounter a guiling, but my soul wasn't taken. I'm completely normal," Qi Yuan answered.
The gaunt man quietly wrote several lines in his notebook:
"Observation confirms intact soul.
In Ninghe County, soul was likely not seized by guiling.
No difficulty communicating; mentally sound."
Having written this, the gaunt man continued, "Yesterday morning, did you have a conflict with Shen Baiting?"
"No conflict occurred. It's just that I'm a matrilocal husband, and he wanted to bully me, so I let him bully me," Qi Yuan answered earnestly.
"What, Brother-in-law? That brat actually wanted to bully you?" Shen Lingfeng fumed from the side.
"How did the son-in-law know Shen Baiting wanted to bully you?" the gaunt man asked.
"Well... truthfully, I have a superpower: I can hear people's heart-voices. I heard Shen Baiting cursing me in his heart, so I knew he wanted to bully me.
I'm a matrilocal husband; isn't being bullied completely normal?
So I went looking for him to let him bully me." Qi Yuan answered truthfully, his large eyes wide with sincerity.
The gaunt man froze for a moment.
Why did Qi Yuan's words sound so simple, yet leave one feeling utterly bewildered?
Putting aside this alleged superpower, why should a matrilocal husband inherently deserve to be bullied, let alone seek it out on purpose?
After a thought, he crossed out the note "mentally sound" and amended it to: "Disordered thoughts accompanied by intense delusions. Presumed soul was not seized, but suffered fright from guiling, resulting in severe psychological trauma."
"Last night, Shen Baiting died. He was found dead in his pond, and it is presumed someone pushed him in. Son-in-law... did you push him?" The gaunt man had already concluded that this matter had nothing to do with Qi Yuan.
Even so, he asked as a matter of routine.
"Not me. I didn't push him!" Qi Yuan answered.
It truly hadn't been him. Shen Baiting had pinched him, then, like a scheming green-tea hypocrite in a palace drama, threw himself into the pond to frame Qi Yuan.
The gaunt man's brush scratched softly across the paper. "My questioning is finished, Son-in-law. Forgive the intrusion."
Having said that, the gaunt man left immediately.
Shen Baiting's death reeked of strangeness; even when the clan's Earth-rank weapon wielders investigated, they found no clues whatsoever.
Naturally, such a bizarre occurrence had nothing to do with a mere matrilocal husband like Qi Yuan.
Had Shen Baiting and Qi Yuan not openly had friction yesterday, they wouldn't have even bothered to question Qi Yuan.
"Brother-in-law, if anyone bullies you in the future, just come to me!" Shen Lingfeng thumped his chest with righteous loyalty.
Qi Yuan smiled. "I actually hope people will bully me. By the way, when you go back, ask your mother when she plans to take a bath, and remember to call me."
At those words, Shen Lingfeng looked troubled. "Brother-in-law, I don't dare help with that."
He still had some wits about him; he knew what favors he could do and which ones he couldn't.
"How about this: help me this once, and I'll teach you some new romantic punchlines to help you pick up girls!" Qi Yuan offered, making a major concession.
Shen Lingfeng's eyes lit up. "I'll go ask my mother right away! Await my good news!"
With that, he dashed off like a puff of smoke.
In the courtyard, only Qi Yuan remained.
The sun sank in the west, and night descended.
Chen Kangbao returned bearing a multitude of implement crafting materials, while Qi Yuan never did receive the good news from Shen Lingfeng.
Shen Lingfeng seemed to have vanished into thin air, never showing his face again.
"It seems the people of the Shen estate don't like taking baths either. Sigh."
Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh.
"Time to start... crafting implements!"
***
Within the Shen estate, Shen Wanshan sat in the seat of honor, his expression solemn.
"How is... he?"
Chen Xianwei stood to the side, lowering his head as he answered, "The son-in-law is rather interested in implement crafting."
He recounted the events of the day to the family patriarch.
"Does he have the talent for implement crafting?" Shen Wanshan asked, a complicated look in his eyes. "I hope he doesn't sever the Qi family's legacy."
"Well... the path of an implement master is quite complex. It depends on whether the son-in-law is willing to settle down and study earnestly. Talent alone is not enough," Chen Xianwei said diplomatically.
What he really wanted to say was: The son-in-law is completely mad, yet you make me teach him—what's the point?
He had spent the entire day lecturing on the history of implement crafting; as for the actual substance, he hadn't taught a single shred.
After all, if a madman really tried to craft implements, he feared that upon awakening his heart fire, Qi Yuan would end up smelting himself before even melting any materials.
Seeing Chen Xianwei's predicament, Shen Wanshan promised, "I trouble you, Master Chen. If Qi Yuan can forge a Yellow-rank artifact, your stipend in the Shen estate will be raised by thirty percent."
"How about... twenty percent?
Thirty percent feels asymmetrical; it feels strange." Chen Xianwei felt uncomfortable because three divided by two wasn't a whole number.
Shen Wanshan gave him a strange look. "Forty percent."
Hearing that, Chen Xianwei felt much more at ease. A thought struck him, and he suddenly asked, "Patriarch, the son-in-law's father was once an implement master. Might I know his name? I wonder if I have heard of him."
Chen Xianwei was rather curious about the identity of Qi Yuan's father.
That Qi Yuan could marry into the Shen family as a matrilocal husband and take Shen Lingxuan as his wife was likely thanks to his father's coat-tails.
His father was already dead, yet could still bring Qi Yuan such a massive opportunity; he was probably an Earth-rank implement master.
Yet why hadn't he ever heard of an Earth-rank implement master surnamed Qi?
Upon hearing Chen Xianwei's inquiry, Shen Wanshan's expression changed slightly, as though recalling events from long ago. "His name was erased by someone. Even I no longer remember it."
At those words, Chen Xianwei's face also changed drastically.
To be able to erase a person's name?
Such methods?
The waters here ran deep indeed.
He knew he could ask no further.
***
"Young Master, what is this?"
In the courtyard, Chen Kangbao looked at the object Qi Yuan had crafted, wearing a bizarre expression.
"This is... a drone." Qi Yuan held the drone, exceedingly proud of himself.
"Why does it look a bit like a fly?" Chen Kangbao muttered.
"Ahem, I can't craft a large drone for now, so I made a small one."
After getting the materials, Qi Yuan had hammered and forged haphazardly, yet he truly managed to forge a flight-type artifact.
However, because it was his first attempt, what he forged was... well, practically an ornament.
The tiny drone had the astounding capability of "the strength of ten mosquitoes."
It was truly a waste.
After all, according to Chen Kangbao's calculations, the materials consumed by this drone were enough to buy several thousand meat buns.
"It's fine, I can still improve," Qi Yuan said nonchalantly. "To roleplay Divine Descent, crafting a drone alone won't cut it. I need to make hand grenades, speakers, flashlights, projectors, cameras, lightsabers...
Using these things to put on a mystical divine show will definitely deliver maximum effect."
Naturally, the camera and other items he intended to craft would be otherworld versions.
After all, the rules of this world differed somewhat from those of Blue Star; it wasn't as if you could just build them and have them work.
This required making use of Qi Yuan's ability to see hidden information.
"Aren't we short on money to buy materials? Once I forge some artifacts that I don't need, we can sell them on the black market.
For instance, lightsabers—I find them quite interesting. Pretentious poseurs will definitely love them and think they look super slick," Qi Yuan said.
Materials required for implement crafting were precious.
With Qi Yuan's current net worth, he couldn't afford the materials at all.
He had always been hardworking, and he didn't want to keep taking crafting materials from the Shen estate indefinitely.
Besides, right now he was taking small quantities of low value, so the Shen estate didn't mind. If he took large amounts of expensive materials... the Shen estate wouldn't give them to him.
Most importantly, if the Shen estate discovered that the artifacts he forged were meant for playing a god, wouldn't his secret act of roleplaying a deity be exposed?
Those drones, flashlights, and other props definitely couldn't be exposed.
Once exposed, the divine mystery and grand majesty would vanish completely; he would be nothing more than a clown playing at godhood.
"Young Master, hurry and craft implements! We can sell them for money to buy buns to eat!" Chen Kangbao's mind raced, his eyes filled with excitement.
"...Why do I feel like you've become the master and I've become your hired hand?" Qi Yuan muttered.
Still, remembering that Chen Kangbao could also help him hold down guiling and was thus of some use, he let it go.
"Materials for implement crafting are so scarce. Sigh, wasn't I a kitchen knife? I wonder if I could melt myself down to forge an artifact," Qi Yuan murmured.
The next day, Chen Xianwei gave Qi Yuan a lesson just as he had yesterday.
The content of his teaching was just as simple, summing up to nothing more than history lectures.
After all, in his eyes, Qi Yuan was a bit mad; it was better not to teach advanced implement crafting techniques for the time being.
For one, he worried Qi Yuan wouldn't understand.
For another, he feared Qi Yuan might set himself on fire.
Time drifted by, and nearly half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Xianwei looked at himself in the mirror, straightened his collar neatly, and walked out of his courtyard.
The moment he stepped outside, Chen Xianwei ran into his archrival, Wu Zhen.
"Old Chen, heheh! I recently took on a disciple who awakened his heart fire in just half a month. I just went to the Implement Crafting Hall to exchange for some materials so he can get familiar with things—not crafting implements yet, just melting materials first."
Wu Zhen spoke with smug pride.
Awakening heart fire in half a month was considered quite impressive among implement masters; barring any major accidents, he had good prospects of becoming a Mystic-rank implement master.
"Not bad," Chen Xianwei commented casually.
"I saw Qi Yuan at the Implement Crafting Hall. I heard he's learning implement crafting under you now.
Surely he must have awakened his heart fire by now, right? I saw him taking quite a lot of materials," Wu Zhen said with a smirk, his laughter dripping with sarcasm.
Implement crafting apprentices could not forge implements, so after first awakening their heart fire, what they did most was melt down materials.
Naturally, he didn't believe Qi Yuan had already awakened his heart fire.
He had checked the records for the materials: on the very first day Qi Yuan began learning implement crafting, he had someone withdraw materials from the Implement Crafting Hall.
Evidently, he was probably reselling the crafting materials for profit.
Chen Xianwei's expression flickered slightly before returning to calm. "He is the Shen family's son-in-law. It's completely normal for him to take some crafting materials."
Yet in his heart, he was also puzzled.
Over these past ten-odd days, he had been lecturing Qi Yuan strictly on the history of implement crafting.
Qi Yuan had listened attentively without raising any objections.
Why had he suddenly taken crafting materials?
Did he want to try his hand at it?
He had to hurry over lest something go wrong with Qi Yuan's crafting. Without a master beside him to provide guidance, attempting to awaken the heart fire on his own could easily lead to burning himself.
At the same time, Chen Xianwei felt a pang of self-reproach.
He shouldn't have taught so much history; he should have formally guided Qi Yuan through the basics by now.
"I envy you, being able to take the Shen family's son-in-law as your student. Don't forget me when you rise to greatness in the future," Wu Zhen sneered with mock enthusiasm.
He and Chen Xianwei had no genuine grievances; this was merely the usual bickering and banter that frequently passed between them.
Chapter 497