“Clang!”
The crisp ring of metal striking metal pierced through the bamboo grove, reaching Lin An’s ears.
Walking along the stone path beneath the verdant bamboo, he came upon a residence with a distinctive personality.
A two-story green bamboo pavilion, with an outdoor forge built from several large boulders in the yard.
The molten fire rune on the forge flickered with an orange-red light.
Entering the yard, Lin An immediately spotted the woman standing before the forge.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, her long black hair falling to her waist, tied into a neat ponytail with a red hairband.
She wore a black short jacket, matching trousers, and a dark apron tied around her waist.
The form-fitting fabric outlined her sleek figure, her wheat-colored arms exposed, muscles clearly defined without being bulky—only a balanced aesthetic.
Sensing his presence, the woman turned her head.
Her delicate face was flushed with a faint red from the heat of the forge.
Her brows and eyes lacked the usual softness of women, instead carrying a heroic spirit, her gaze steady and focused.
Lin An set down the basket he carried on his back beside the pile of materials near the forge.
“Senior Sister Gu, I’ve brought the ores you requested.”
Gu Yingge put down the hammer in her hand and smiled gently at him.
“Mm, sorry for the trouble. Have a seat. I’ll go brew some tea.”
With that, she walked straight into the house.
Lin An sat on a stone stool in the yard, gazing at the blazing forge, waiting quietly.
Ten days ago—on the third day after arriving at Heaven Origin Sect—he had finally contacted that senior colleague.
Why “finally”?
Because the other party seemed reluctant to engage with him, brushing off his questions about the mission with halfhearted replies.
Just when he thought the other person was also just trying to coast along, they threw a bombshell at him.
[Get close to Gu Yingge and steal the Ten Thousand Treasures Record from her.]
Seeing this, Lin An’s teeth ached.
Who was Gu Yingge?
She was the chief of the Divine Fire Pavilion, one of the Four Pavilions of Heaven Origin—a Senior Sister-level figure with real influence within the sect.
And he, a mere servant disciple, was supposed to steal from her?
What was she thinking?
He didn’t mince words and asked directly.
The other side explained… something about how the Ten Thousand Treasures Record contained the Divine Fire Pavilion’s cultivation methods, artifact refinement techniques, and talisman-making methods—one of the Heaven Origin Sect’s most precious treasures—and a bunch of other jumbled nonsense.
In short, it was extremely important and had to be taken.
Then the other side said they had a critical mission themselves and had no time, but could provide assistance.
They also told him how to get close to Gu Yingge.
Lin An didn’t want to take the job, but he had no choice.
He reluctantly agreed, stressing that his own safety was the top priority and he wouldn’t do anything reckless.
Unexpectedly, the other party was quite agreeable, nodding in understanding.
Just as Lin An was wondering how this assistance would work, the next day Gu Yingge sent a list requesting a batch of ores.
And so, Lin An had a natural reason to approach this place, and…
“Junior Brother Lin, have you been waiting long?”
A voice by his ear interrupted Lin An’s thoughts.
Gu Yingge walked out of the small building, holding a steaming teapot in one hand and two cups in the other.
“Ice Heart Pavilion just cultivated a new spiritual tea. They sent me some the other day. I quite like it—try some.”
She sat down across from Lin An and pushed a freshly poured cup toward him.
A refreshing fragrance hit him, clearing his mind.
“Thank you, Senior Sister Gu. This must be quite valuable. You’re really spoiling me.”
His mouth said the words, but his hands were honest—he picked up the cup, blew on it, and took a small sip.
“Mm, excellent tea!”
Gu Yingge saw this and simply smiled without saying anything.
After spending these days together, she had gained a basic understanding of Lin An.
He was good-looking, spoke pleasantly, and though he liked to take small advantages, it was harmless—normal, really.
And most importantly—
Gu Yingge took a sip as well, then set down her cup, her face full of anticipation.
“Junior Brother Lin, let’s continue the story we didn’t finish yesterday. So, did Fahai and Bai Suzhen end up together or not?”
Lin An gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to laugh out loud.
Yes, one of Gu Yingge’s greatest hobbies was listening to stories—all kinds of stories.
And as it happened, Lin An had a treasure trove of tales in his head.
He’d heavily adapted many of them and told them to Gu Yingge.
Over time, the two had grown familiar.
“Ahem,” Lin An cleared his throat, piecing together the twisted version of the story in his mind.
“No, they didn’t. Listen, halfway through, a guy named Xu Xian comes charging in riding a green snake spirit, shouting ‘Great Power Heavenly Dragon’ and wielding the Leifeng Pagoda artifact. Then…”
Gu Yingge rested her chin on her hands, a smile curving her lips as she listened to Lin An’s wild fabrications.
She cultivated a mental technique, the Origin Heart Sutra.
As an artifact refiner and talisman maker, the most important thing was to have the work already completed in your mind before you even lifted a finger.
This technique aided that purpose—and its secondary function was to discern truth from falsehood.
Once mastered to perfection, no lie in the world could deceive her.
Though she had never heard this story before, the moment Lin An opened his mouth, she knew the original plot couldn’t have gone this way.
But that was fine—as long as it was interesting, that was enough.
Heh heh~
The sun climbed higher, its warm light spilling over the little yard, falling upon the two of them.
“In the end, Xu Xian pushed over Leifeng Pagoda, rescued Fahai, and the two lived happily ever after.”
Lin An took a sip of tea, looking quite satisfied with his twisted version of the tale.
“Pfft…”
Gu Yingge finally couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
“Haha, mm, very interesting, Junior Brother Lin.”
“As long as Senior Sister Gu enjoys it.”
Lin An checked the time.
If he didn’t leave soon, he’d miss lunch.
“I’ll be going now. I’ll tell you another story next time.”
“Alright.”
Gu Yingge nodded, then suddenly remembered something and quickly stood up.
“Oh, Junior Brother Lin, wait—I want to give you something.”
“Hm?”
Gu Yingge went back inside.
When she came out, she was holding a rosewood brocade box.
“Senior Sister Gu, what’s this?”
Gu Yingge opened the box.
Inside lay a jade token about an inch square, engraved with the character “Gu.”
“This is a storage token I refined. You’re new here, so I doubt you’ve gotten your hands on one yet. I’m giving this to you so you don’t have to carry such heavy ores all the way here.”
Lin An’s pupils contracted.
He quickly refused.
“No, no, I can’t accept this. Senior Sister Gu, this gift is far too valuable. Besides, someone of my status using this would be inappropriate.”
He wanted to gain some perks while doing the mission, but this perk was too big—it could crush him.
Seeing him refuse so firmly, Gu Yingge’s expression cooled.
She grabbed his hand and forcefully pressed the jade token into his palm.
“I’m giving it to you, so take it. It bears my mark. Who in the sect would dare to question it?”
This was the first time Lin An had seen her so assertive.
He focused his gaze and saw that the white mist around her was quite dense—she truly meant it.
So he stopped refusing.
“Alright then. Thank you, Senior Sister Gu.”
Gu Yingge patted his shoulder, her smile returning.
“No need to thank me. Your stories are interesting—I like them. Consider this extra payment. It’s perfectly proper.”
“Ha… haha…”
—
Back in the Outer Sect.
“Yo, Lin An’s back! Did you deliver the ores to Chief Gu?”
Manager Li spotted Lin An and walked over with a beaming smile.
“Mm, delivered. Any afternoon tasks after lunch?”
Lin An noticed that the white mist around Manager Li had grown even thicker—he really seemed to think Lin An had something going on with Gu Yingge.
“No, no. You rest in the afternoon. I’ll call you if there’s anything.”
“Is that… appropriate?”
“It’s fine, just leave it at that.”
He turned and left, looking busy.
Lin An said nothing.
He was happy to have some free time.
After lunch, he returned to his small room and lay on the bed, toying with the jade token.
It had been almost half a month since he arrived.
He could honestly say he’d lived quite a fulfilling life.
This proved that only adequate compensation brought motivation to work.
Forget about ideals—they were useless.
His relationships with most of his colleagues were amicable, and he’d managed to save up a little.
This storage token from Gu Yingge came just in time.
But one thing still bothered him.
That colleague… seemed off.
After all this time, not only had they never met—he didn’t even know who they were.
Was that normal?
Clearly not.
Their explanation was that not knowing each other’s identities was safer for both sides.
But such secretive behavior made Lin An seriously doubt their motives and… loyalty.
A defector?
It wasn’t impossible.
If the other party had already attained enough status and power, why remain a spy that could be exposed at any moment?
Lin An once again cursed the emperor’s idiocy for not even implementing a control measure.
Why not poison them or brand them with a mark?
When he himself came, there wasn’t a single insurance policy.
Just as he was thinking about this, the communication device at his heart vibrated with a signal.
He calmed his mind and sensed the message.
[Come to the Sword Testing Platform outside the Game of Swords Pavilion tonight. I need to speak with you in person.]
“Huh?”
Lin An sat up abruptly.
Speak of the devil.
Just as I was wondering if you were suspicious, you suddenly want to meet.
Something’s wrong…