“Who are you talking to?”
Her voice was light, like snow falling on dry leaves, but also carried a hint of weakness, lacking in vigor.
“Talking to the buns in my arms.”
Lin Yue grinned and held out a bag.
“This little brother… oh no, this young lady, I can tell from your face that you’re quite extraordinary, definitely a Literary Star descended from the heavens. Here, help me finish five of these, consider it doing me a good deed.”
The female assassin stared intently at the bag of buns.
She could sense there were five meat buns inside.
Each one was emitting a fatal temptation.
“I do not accept charity,” she replied coldly, yet her hand unconsciously rubbed against her robe.
“This isn’t charity, it’s a consultation fee.”
Lin Yue pointed toward the west side of town.
“I got lost over there just now. If you can tell me how to get to this bun shop, these buns are your payment.”
“…You’re already here.”
“Oh right, look at my memory.”
Lin Yue slapped his forehead.
“Then it’s because I ate too much just now, I’m begging you for a favor. You’re an assassin, right? Don’t assassins take money for jobs? I’ll give you five buns, you help me… help me keep my mouth shut, don’t tell anyone I bought twenty buns, okay?”
The female assassin was stunned.
In her life, she had carried out countless missions, killed corrupt officials, slaughtered fierce bandits, even robbed official silver shipments.
But this kind of “five buns to buy silence” mission, she had truly never seen before.
The air froze again for five seconds.
The female assassin slowly extended her hand, covered in small calluses, and took the paper bag.
She gripped it so tightly the bag let out a crisp rustling sound.
“Mission accepted.”
She said in a low voice, then her figure flickered.
Lin Yue only saw a blur before his eyes, and she was gone.
But from behind an old locust tree deep in the alley, he heard the sound of voracious swallowing, like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.
Ding! Karmic Debt Repayment Progress: 10%.
Evaluation: You temporarily quelled an assassin’s anger with five buns.
Although she’s still considering whether to rob you tonight, at least her stomach is warm now.
Lin Yue shook his head with a smile, picked up the remaining buns, and continued strolling through the town.
It was almost noon when Mo Feng finally finished collecting the grain.
“Lin Yue, where the hell have you been?”
Mo Feng looked at Lin Yue, who was strolling back leisurely, and felt a surge of anger.
“Boss Liu handed over the grain, but he just reported to me that the ‘Wu Family Ironworks’ at the west end of town has been hiding a batch of prohibited spirit ore recently, refusing to surrender it. You’re coming with me to check it out.”
Lin Yue curled his lip.
“Boss Liu really holds a grudge, huh? Trying to drag his neighbor down with him.”
“Stop talking nonsense, let’s go!”
The Wu Family Ironworks was located in the most remote corner of Qingshui Town, not far from that barbecue stall.
As soon as they entered, they heard the sound of a heavy hammer striking metal.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
By the furnace, a middle-aged man, shirtless with muscles bulging like small hills, was sweating profusely as he forged a blade blank.
“Wu Tietou, stop working.”
Mo Feng covered his nose as soon as he entered.
“Sect routine inspection. Hand over that batch of Profound Iron Ore in your backyard.”
Wu Tietou stopped his hammer and gave Mo Feng a cold glance.
“Is that fat pig Liu farting, and you’re following the smell? I only have scrap iron here, no spirit ore.”
“How dare you!”
Mo Feng’s eyes turned cold, about to lose his temper.
But Lin Yue stared at the blacksmith, his eyes lighting up slightly.
This forging rhythm, this force penetration…
This man was a master.
Although his cultivation seemed only at the Qi Refining third or fourth layer, the “unyielding strength” accumulated over years was exceptionally pure.
“Uncle Wu, that blade blank looks good.”
Lin Yue walked forward, looking at the red-hot piece of iron.
“Get lost, Immortal Master.”
Wu Tietou said rudely.
“It’s smoky and greasy here, careful not to blacken your delicate skin.”
Lin Yue didn’t get angry.
Instead, he took off the black iron heavy sword from his back.
“Uncle Wu, take a look at this weapon of mine. Can it still be sharpened?”
Wu Tietou originally wore an impatient expression, but when his gaze fell on the black pillar in Lin Yue’s hand, his whole body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
He walked over quickly, not caring about the heat, and stroked the cold blade with both hands.
“This material… this forging technique…”
His voice trembled slightly.
His originally dull eyes shot out an extremely fanatical light.
“This is… ‘Cloud-Sinking Millennial Iron’? How can this kind of iron still exist in the world?”
Mo Feng frowned beside them.
“Wu Tietou, what nonsense are you spouting? This is just a raw iron pillar.”
“What do you know!”
Wu Tietou suddenly turned his head and roared at Mo Feng, the force of his shout actually making Mo Feng take a step back.
Wu Tietou looked at Lin Yue again, his expression becoming extremely complex.
“Little brother, this sword… where did you get it from?”
“Found it by the roadside.”
Lin Yue lied casually.
“Good find, a very good find.”
Wu Tietou sighed, his eyes full of obsession.
“It’s right that this sword isn’t sharpened. Ordinary fire in this world can’t melt it at all. To sharpen it, unless…”
At this point, he suddenly shut his mouth and glanced warily at Mo Feng.
Lin Yue’s heart stirred.
“Unless what?”
“Unless it’s done with heartfire.”
Wu Tietou patted the heavy sword.
“Little brother, this sword of yours is just a blank now. The day you’ve walked enough in this mortal world, the sword will become sharp.”
Mo Feng interrupted impatiently.
“Enough, stop being cryptic! Where is the spirit ore?”
“No ore.”
Wu Tietou sat back down by the anvil.
“I have my life to give, but no ore. Get lost!”
Mo Feng was thoroughly enraged.
He felt like he was hitting walls everywhere today, first angered by that deadbeat Boss Liu, now cursed at by a blacksmith.
“Lin Yue! Tear down his furnace for me!”
Lin Yue looked at Wu Tietou, then at the blazing furnace, and suddenly smiled.
“Steward Mo, this furnace can’t be torn down.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, this furnace is currently refining our Nine Heavens Sect’s ‘auspicious sign.'”
Lin Yue walked up to the furnace, casually picked up a pair of fire tongs nearby, and stirred through the charcoal fire.
With the support of his “Mountain-Piercing” strength, a crystal-clear ore emitting a faint purple light was flicked out from the heart of the fire.
“Oh? Isn’t this Purple Extreme Spirit Stone?”
Lin Yue feigned surprise.
Wu Tietou’s face instantly turned deathly pale, his gaze fixed on Lin Yue.
Mo Feng, however, was overjoyed.
“You really hid it! You, Wu Tietou!”
Yet Lin Yue gently tapped the purple stone.
Crack!
The purple stone shattered, revealing an extremely tiny array disc carved from a jade slip inside.
The array disc was emitting an extremely faint but calming and soothing fragrance.
“This is… a Clear Mind Array?”
Mo Feng was stunned.
“Boss Liu said Uncle Wu was hiding ore, but actually, Uncle Wu was refining this thing for the town’s midwives.”
Lin Yue looked at Wu Tietou and said calmly.
“This thing isn’t valuable, but it can ensure the safety of mother and child. Boss Liu probably thought that if he didn’t get rid of Uncle Wu, the noise from the blacksmith shop next to his unscrupulous grain shop would be too loud, disturbing his afternoon nap.”
Mo Feng awkwardly withdrew his hand.
As a member of a prestigious orthodox sect, confiscating spirit ore was official business.
But if he seized someone’s life-saving Clear Mind Array, and this got out, his reputation, Mo Feng’s, would truly be ruined.
“Hmph, report it next time!”
Mo Feng threw down these words, turned, and walked out of the blacksmith shop.
Wu Tietou looked at Lin Yue, the hostility in his eyes dissipating, replaced by a deep gratitude.
“Little brother… you, you saw through it again?”
“Guessed.”
Lin Yue shouldered the heavy sword and walked out the door.
“Uncle Wu, I’ll remember your words, ‘walk enough road, and the sword will become sharp.’ In the future, keep the forging noise down a bit, don’t always give that fat Liu an excuse.”
At dusk.
Lin Yue returned to the inn.
As soon as he entered his room, he found a cucumber, washed clean, placed on the windowsill.
Under it was a small note pressed down, with elegant handwriting that carried a hint of a murderous aura: “Buns, returned. Mission, settled.”
Lin Yue picked up the cucumber, took a bite.
It was crisp and fresh.
In his mind, the ledger sighed.
“Five meat buns exchanged for one cucumber. You’re losing your pants in this deal.”
‘You don’t know anything. This is called investment.’
Lin Yue looked at the gradually rising moon outside the window, but in his heart, he was thinking of the eyes of that green-robed female assassin.
In those eyes, besides hunger, there seemed to be a little bit of… weariness, of not wanting to kill.
“Tomorrow, it’s time to collect rent from the next family.”
He patted the iron pillar beside him and fell into a deep sleep.