The moon sank and crows cawed in the night. Shen Lingfeng hung suspended from a tree.
Madam Shen had changed into plain clothes, though the light makeup on her face had yet to be wiped clean.
Her eyes glared fiercely, her face burning with fury.
"Did you carry in that bathwater?"
Whip in hand, she nearly lashed out right then and there.
After a blissful, tender night with her husband, she had been looking forward to a lovely, relaxing bath.
And what happened...?
Naturally, she had still bathed in the end. But the moment she finished, she went straight after Shen Lingfeng.
"Mother, I was wrong!" Bound and dangling from the branch, Shen Lingfeng had no idea what had actually gone wrong, but he remembered the clever trick his brother-in-law had taught him: apologize immediately.
"Hmph, so you know you were wrong?" Madam Shen's anger flared even hotter. "Then tell me—where were you wrong?"
That question left Shen Lingfeng completely dumbfounded again.
"Hmph, it's one thing for Qi Yuan to act foolish; he spent time in a madhouse! But do you want to live in a madhouse too?"
The mere thought of the bathwater made Madam Shen's blood boil.
It suddenly struck her that when Shen Lingfeng claimed earlier he wanted a younger sister, he had said it deliberately.
"Fetching bathwater is one thing, but what in the world did you mean by throwing in scallions, ginger, and garlic?!"
Madam Shen brandished her whip, snapping it through the air with a loud crack.
Shen Lingfeng shrieked in terror, wailing like a banshee.
The servants and handmaidens stayed far away, not daring to step anywhere near.
***
"Today is a very lucky day."
"My role-play progression for the matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan has reached 70%."
"It's higher than expected. Could it be that not only did my mother-in-law bathe, but my father-in-law took a bath too?"
Qi Yuan secretly speculated.
According to his calculations, pouring bathwater for his mother-in-law should have raised the progression to around 60%, yet it had jumped an extra 10%.
Clearly, the water he carried in had probably not been used by his mother-in-law alone...
"And the reward for this progression level is... Yin-Yang White Fire."
At 30% progression, Qi Yuan had obtained the Heart of Implement Crafting, which increased his crafting success rate by five percent.
Now, he had received the Yin-Yang White Fire.
The Yin-Yang White Fire was an extraordinarily formidable heart fire.
An implement master's strength depended not only on their crafting techniques, but also on their heart fire.
Many materials in the world were indestructible and extremely difficult to melt.
Some implement masters never awakened a strong enough heart fire, leaving them unable to melt or forge certain rare, precious materials.
The Yin-Yang White Fire was entirely different. It was an overwhelmingly potent, overbearing flame capable of melting even God-rank materials.
"It seems this matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan actually had immense talent as an implement master—it just... never awakened," Qi Yuan mused.
"Yin-Yang White Fire!"
Following Qi Yuan's movement, a clump of eerie white flame flared into being.
Above the fire, Qi Yuan sensed both extreme chill and scorching heat.
Two entirely conflicting concepts coexisted within a single flame—a complete contradiction.
Reflecting on this, Qi Yuan took out a piece of special material he had purchased.
This material was called Wind Radiant Gold, a Heaven-rank material.
If a bit of Wind Radiant Gold were added to the unranked armaments he crafted, they could enter the Yellow rank.
If they were already Yellow-rank, it could raise them by a sub-grade.
Previously, Qi Yuan had been unable to melt such a material.
Now, as the Yin-Yang White Fire surged forth, the Wind Radiant Gold shifted within moments, gradually softening before turning into a pool of liquid.
"As expected of the Yin-Yang White Fire. Now, even Earth-rank armaments are within my reach."
Until now, the strongest armament Qi Yuan had crafted was merely Mystic-rank.
With the awakening of the Yin-Yang White Fire, he could try his hand at crafting Earth-rank armaments.
An Earth-rank implement master was considered a true local hegemon within Jining Prefecture.
***
The following day, Shen Lingfeng did not show up. Instead, Chen Xianwei walked over.
"In another half month, I'll be accompanying the Shen family to Yeshan Lake to take part in the implement-crafting conference." When Chen Xianwei mentioned this, worry was etched across his face. "I wonder if any young talents will be able to repair the Weilong Xuanyuan this time."
The implement-crafting conference had one primary purpose: to gather the young talents from across the three prefectures of Jiangzhou to discuss how to repair the Weilong Xuanyuan.
"In the past, someone who just entered the trade like you wouldn't even have been qualified to attend a grand gathering of this scale.
"Now, with the threat of the Yeshan Lake Water Lord looming, every implement master's creative inspiration is needed," Chen Xianwei continued.
"I might not be good at ordinary crafting, but I'm great at creative inspiration," Qi Yuan remarked casually. "If I manage to repair the Weilong Xuanyuan, what will the reward be?"
"You're getting ahead of yourself." Chen Xianwei chuckled. "Probably one million taels."
"Only one million taels? That little?" Qi Yuan could not help blurting out.
A few days ago, he would have thought one million taels was a fortune.
Now, with two million taels resting in his pocket, he could only think, *Is that all?*
"Ah, well, a small milestone like that is worth me making a move once."
"You brat! An ordinary Earth-rank armament only goes for several tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand taels.
"Because the Weilong Xuanyuan is a near-Heaven armament and deeply special, tied to the safety of the common people of Jining Prefecture, it's worth a million taels!
"And you actually scoff at the amount? The Shen Manor you're staying in probably couldn't even pull out a million taels in cash!" Chen Xianwei huffed.
The Shen family's total assets exceeded a million taels, but most of it was tied up in fixed property; their liquid silver and banknotes were dreadfully scarce.
Chen Xianwei was considered relatively wealthy, yet the banknotes on him barely amounted to ten thousand taels.
"Never mind that. Here, these are the materials for crafting a Xuanyuan Spear. If you can forge one in the next few days, you'll be allowed to go to Yeshan Lake." Chen Xianwei handed a pile of materials to Qi Yuan.
The Xuanyuan Spear was an ordinary, standard-issue, unranked armament.
In military formations, elite spearmen carried Xuanyuan Spears as their standard weapon.
A corps of a thousand such spearmen was sufficient to suppress an Earth-rank weapon wielder.
"Sure, I'll forge it right now."
"Isn't it a bit early? Aren't you going to prepare—"
Chen Xianwei's words caught in his throat.
Before his eyes, a flame bearing both chilling cold and blistering heat erupted over Qi Yuan's arm, and the large pile of materials was swept into it.
In the blink of an eye, the materials melted into molten metal.
"That's Xuanyu iron! Even I would need a quarter of an hour to melt it down... You, you, you..." Chen Xianwei was dumbstruck.
Qi Yuan had taken only a few breaths to turn the Xuanyu iron into liquid.
Staring at Qi Yuan's heart fire, Chen Xianwei's face froze in utter shock.
Had Qi Yuan's heart fire grown stronger than before?
Could his heart fire actually evolve?
What kind of heart fire was this?
Countless question marks sprang up in his mind.
He had never seen a heart fire like this in his life.
Yet his shock did not last long before a pristine, perfectly straight Xuanyuan Spear materialized before him.
A cold glint flickered across the spear tip, like a flowing streak of chill light.
That chilling light shone brilliantly, looking sharp enough to pierce through any obstacle in the world.
"Master Chen, do I qualify to go to Yeshan Lake now?" Qi Yuan asked mildly, holding the Xuanyuan Spear.
"Yes, yes, absolutely!" Feeling as if he were dreaming, Chen Xianwei nodded vigorously. "Ahem... Qi Yuan, if you actually win that million taels, could you share a bit with me... ahem?"
Qi Yuan gave Chen Xianwei an astonished look.
Someone in this world actually dared to ask him for money?
He was the sect master of the Debt Collection Sect!
"Considering how well you've been telling stories these days, I'll spare you a cut." Qi Yuan was remarkably generous.
Chen Xianwei immediately beamed with joy.
Looking at Qi Yuan now, the more he looked, the more pleased he felt.
"Come, Qi Yuan, write down your insights and line of thought from forging the Xuanyuan Spear so I can review them." A thought struck Chen Xianwei, and he hurriedly handed a notebook and brush to Qi Yuan.
"I need to write it down?" Qi Yuan was surprised, but without hesitation, he jotted down his thoughts and impressions.
Chen Xianwei took the notebook, glanced over it casually, and gasped in admiration.
Could it be that, just as Chen Kangbao had said, Qi Yuan really was a Heavenly God descended to earth? Otherwise, how could his crafting talent be this terrifying?
Some of the concepts written on the page were things even he, a Mystic-rank implement master, could barely comprehend.
Looking at the notebook, Chen Xianwei finally wrote at the bottom: *Notes on Qi Yuan's First Forging of the Xuanyuan Spear, witnessed by his teacher, Chen Xianwei.*
After writing that, Chen Xianwei was immensely satisfied.
In the future, when Qi Yuan became a renowned implement master—perhaps even a Heaven-rank master—many would surely examine Qi Yuan's original manuscripts.
And when they read the manuscript, they would see the words "his teacher, Chen Xianwei."
Posterity would certainly say that Qi Yuan's great achievements were inseparable from his master, Chen Xianwei.
And since this master, Chen Xianwei, had left behind no legendary masterpieces of his own, people would conclude he had been an upright, indifferent master who cared nothing for fame or fortune.
Wouldn't that ensure his name went down in history?
At this thought, his mood grew even more jubilant.
"Keep up the good work. Your teacher is heading back."
Chen Xianwei hurried off, eager to report this development to the family head.
With Qi Yuan's talent, he stood a tremendous chance of becoming a Heaven-rank implement master.
How long had he even been studying the craft?
This heart fire of his was something even an Earth-rank implement master likely couldn't match.
However, while passing through the alleyway, Chen Xianwei ran into his old rival, Wu Zhen.
"Hey, Old Chen, what's the rush? My apprentice recently forged a mediocre, unranked armament. Come take a look and evaluate it." Wu Zhen held up an object resembling a chopstick. "Sigh, he's been studying implement crafting for a whole month, and this is all he can manage. It really exhausts me."
Clutching that chopstick-like piece, he wore an expression of deep, exaggerated grief.
On the surface, he looked thoroughly disappointed.
In truth, he was blatantly showing off.
*See that? My disciple managed to forge an unranked armament after just one month.*
Chen Xianwei paused and glanced at the object.
"What a piece of garbage! The technique is far too crude!"
Delivering that blunt verdict, Chen Xianwei walked straight past him.
Wu Zhen froze in disbelief.
At that moment, he felt like someone posting a glamorous selfie on social media, fishing for compliments with a humble caption: *Sigh, why am I so ordinary? I can't compare to those real beauties at all.*
Only for every single comment underneath to reply: *Sis, you really are plain.*
It completely threw him off.
How could Chen Xianwei look down on this? Could it be...
A terrifying suspicion suddenly crossed his mind.
Judging by the direction, Chen Xianwei had just walked out of Qi Yuan's courtyard looking ecstatic.
Could the son-in-law's talent be even higher than his own apprentice's?
Watching Chen Xianwei's retreating figure, Wu Zhen could not help shouting, "Your hair is a total mess! It's not even symmetrical!"
Walking briskly, Chen Xianwei nearly tripped. He frantically fished a small mirror from his robes and patted his hair back into place.
Only seeing this did Wu Zhen feel he had regained a tiny shred of face.
***
"My cultivation hasn't fully recovered yet, but 'Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique' and 'Dying Radiance' are usable again."
"To think no new skill awakened. Don't tell me I have to reach Heaven-rank first?" Qi Yuan pondered.
After reaching Level 90, his major and minor skills had all returned.
However, aside from Myriad Transformations, no new major ultimate skills had awakened.
This gave Qi Yuan pause.
"Advisor, help me brainstorm. Going to Yeshan Lake this time is dangerous—how should I avoid trouble?" Qi Yuan asked.
"In the past, I wouldn't have cared at all.
"But right now, I'm a matrilocal son-in-law. A son-in-law has a face that naturally draws aggro; anyone who looks my way wants to bully me.
"My strength hasn't recovered, so if someone picks on me, I might actually just have to take it."
This was Qi Yuan's real concern.
"Young Master, you can grant me your blessing! I'll protect you!" Chen Kangbao offered earnestly, bursting with confidence.
Qi Yuan shook his head.
With Chen Kangbao's strength, a "blessing" was enough to handle minor lackeys, but dealing with major heavyweights would be nearly impossible.
"Anything else?"
"How about... Young Master turns into a steamed bun?" Chen Kangbao looked at Qi Yuan with eager anticipation, drool practically dripping from his mouth. "If I carry Young Master around, surely no one would hold malice toward a bun."
Indeed, no one would harbor malice toward a steamed bun.
*Except you, Chen Kangbao! You'd harbor an appetite for it!*
Qi Yuan glared at Chen Kangbao, then said, "You actually gave me an idea. As a matrilocal son-in-law, I have an aggro-drawing face that invites people to slap it.
"As long as I'm not a son-in-law, it'll be fine. When we reach Yeshan Lake... we'll slip away from the Shen family's encampment."
"And turn into a steamed bun?"
Qi Yuan glared at him again. "Turn into a kitchen knife."
"A kitchen knife?" Chen Kangbao looked a little disappointed.
"When the time comes, find me a kitchen maid."
"To make steamed buns?"
"...Get lost!"
Qi Yuan was completely exasperated. "Old man, were you a starving ghost in your past life? Can you not go three sentences without mentioning buns?!"
"Master, this old servant's family was poor when I was young, and I rarely had enough to eat!"
"Hmph!"
Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to argue with him any further.
A plan had already formed in his mind.
Currently, his role-play as the matrilocal son-in-law had hit another bottleneck.
His progression for role-playing a kitchen knife remained very low; he needed to seize this opportunity to raise his proficiency as a kitchen knife.
"Still, before that, I need to gold-plate myself. If that kitchen maid uses me to slice snakes, abalone, or steel rebar, I won't be able to stand it."
Qi Yuan's idea was simple. There were still a few days left before departing for Yeshan Lake.
During this time, he would forge a protective case to slip into.
As for the case, the first requirement was an outer shell that was hard—unfathomably hard. The second was a soft interior. If it wasn't soft, how could a kitchen knife sleep comfortably?
"Wait, does a kitchen knife need to sleep?"
"Also, what should I keep in mind when playing a kitchen knife?"
Qi Yuan really wanted to consult his pet kitchen knife about what to look out for.
Could it be that it needed to be walked on a leash?
And... rummage through garbage?
Qi Yuan shook his head. He definitely couldn't accept that.
"However, if it's walking people or raiding treasuries, I'd say I'm quite good at that.
"The core of role-playing should come down to two things: the mindset and characteristics of the subject itself, and my own cognition.
"After all, it's just role-playing—it's not actually turning me into one!"
Acting was just acting; Qi Yuan had no intention of becoming a marionette.
Otherwise, if he had to play a flower-plucking thief next time, would he really have to go deflower maidens? If he played Cao Cao, would he have to go sleep with other men's wives?
Well... that second one... didn't sound entirely unfeasible.
Qi Yuan suddenly thought of a way to exploit the rules.
If he role-played Cao Cao and slept with the wife of the matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan, wouldn't that count as sleeping with someone else's wife?
Chapter 506