The next day, the weather was clear.
Wen Shuangbai’s leg injury had improved significantly.
She woke up early and carried the basket of discarded spirit tools from Wen Feng’s room to an open area in front of the house.
The ground was uneven, with puddles of rainwater from the night before still pooled in the hollows, shimmering under the morning sunlight.
Kneeling beside the basket, Wen Shuangbai fished out a few half-finished alchemy furnaces and carefully examined their materials under the rising sun.
The primary material for crafting alchemy furnaces was Scarlet Goldstone—a remarkably sturdy substance capable of withstanding the scorching spiritual energy of cultivators while barely depleting the energy itself. It allowed spiritual energy to pass through seamlessly, ensuring the materials inside the furnace were refined into high-quality spirit pills.
Moreover, Scarlet Goldstone never reacted with medicinal herbs under any circumstances, making it the absolute best choice for crafting alchemy furnaces—bar none.
According to the books, different grades of Scarlet Goldstone refracted distinct halos in sunlight.
The most common and cheapest, seventh-grade Scarlet Goldstone, appeared black; sixth-grade had a deep blue hue… while first-grade shone gold.
After scrutinizing them several times, Wen Shuangbai confirmed that all five discarded furnaces were pitch black.
Well.
For a moment, she had actually hoped her scumbag father might have left behind something of value in his trash.
Wishful thinking, indeed.
She picked the least offensive-looking one from the five and carried it inside to begin her work.
The books only taught how to craft an alchemy furnace when the materials were properly prepared.
But there was no guidance on how to revert a ruined furnace back to its raw material state before starting anew.
Wen Shuangbai combed through the original owner’s memories but found nothing useful.
The original owner had simply thrown away any failed spirit tools.
Left with no other choice, Wen Shuangbai decided to improvise.
She threw herself into the task with enthusiasm.
One incense stick’s worth of time passed. Then two. Then three.
By then, Wen Shuangbai slumped in defeat, staring at the furnace, which hadn’t changed in the slightest.
Damn this piece of junk! It wouldn’t break, wouldn’t crack, and wouldn’t melt no matter what she did.
Frustration simmering inside her, she wavered between giving up and persevering—before finally pulling out the Mystic Heaven Mirror.
[Novice Artificer: EMERGENCY!!! Fellow brothers and sisters of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, I need help! How do you reverse-refine a spirit tool?]
Perhaps her question was too absurd, because responses flooded in almost immediately.
[First-Grade Artificer: Wait… what do you mean by “reverse-refine”?]
Wen Shuangbai omitted some details and replied: [I have an alchemy furnace, but I want to refine it back into Scarlet Goldstone.]
[First-Grade Artificer: …Have you lost your mind?]
Others quickly joined in mocking her.
[Tea Enthusiast: Junior Sister Novice, are you dreaming?]
[Rabbit: Impossible. Even unfinished items can’t be reversed once you start refining them. Your idea is beyond ridiculous.]
[Woody: This question is so stupid it’s embarrassing the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion. Just think about it—can talisman artists erase inscriptions and reuse the paper? Can I vomit up the food I’ve eaten and serve it to you again? Use your brain when cultivating, and don’t ask such idiotic questions.]
Wen Shuangbai couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and skimmed through the text rapidly.
[Big Zongzi: Hahaha, is it because you don’t want to waste materials? I used to think the same way, but I tried many methods and none worked. First, the materials used for artifact refining are extremely durable—it’s hard to break them down. Second, refining involves multiple materials mixed together and inscribed with runes. Even if you manage to break them apart, they’re no longer the original materials.]
This "Zongzi Brother" made a fair point.
But Wen Shuangbai still refused to give up.
She had spent the entire morning wrestling with this damned alchemy furnace, her spiritual energy probing every inch of it.
Deep down, she had a vague sense of the furnace’s weak points—or rather, its structural framework.
Destroy that framework, and the furnace would surely fall apart.
But her spiritual energy couldn’t break through. It was like knowing exactly where the lock was but lacking the right key, leaving her helpless.
Wen Shuangbai was deeply frustrated.
She exited the disciples’ discussion forum and wandered over to Qingling Market.
After the "No Money Brother," four more people had approached her for artifact refining. Combined with the first order, these five jobs would earn her 4,500 spirit stones.
But if she couldn’t find a way to repurpose these scrap artifacts, she’d have to buy new refining materials, costing around 2,000 spirit stones.
Half her profits gone.
What a devastating loss.
Wen Shuangbai let out a sigh of poverty. After replying to a few clients, she noticed someone had privately messaged her through her help post.
[Flower Blooms in Wealth: Why do you want to reverse-refine artifacts?]
Wen Shuangbai replied with a single word: [Poor.]
The other person took a while to respond: [Heh, not the reason I expected.]
Wen Shuangbai got the impression this person was probably older—maybe even an elder from the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.
After a moment’s thought, she replied politely: [Does Senior have any advice to share?]
[Flower Blooms in Wealth: I do.]
Wen Shuangbai: !
[Novice Artificer: Please enlighten me, Senior! I’ll be eternally grateful!]
[Flower Blooms in Wealth: This is a secret technique of my sect—not to be shared. Our paths differ.]
"?"
Wen Shuangbai was baffled. They’d barely exchanged a few words—how could their "paths" already differ?
Was it because she was poor?
Indignant, she couldn’t help asking: [Has Senior never been poor before?]
[Flower Blooms in Wealth: Never. Flower Blooms in Wealth: I’ve been wealthy since childhood.]
At that moment, Wen Shuangbai clearly heard the sound of her heart shattering.
Comparing yourself to others only leads to misery.
Ah, this damned world!
She took a deep breath to steady herself and, regardless of whether their "paths" aligned, poured out all her insights and frustrations from the morning.
What if it worked?
And surprisingly, it did.
[Flower Blooms in Wealth: Your comprehension isn’t bad. Flower Blooms in Wealth: I’ll make an exception and share a secret—try practicing the "Radiant Sun Heart Method" in reverse.]
The Radiant Sun Heart Method?
Just as Wen Shuangbai’s mind flooded with questions, the other person warned her that reversing cultivation techniques carried great risks. She should proceed with caution and bear full responsibility for any consequences.
When Wen Shuangbai tried to ask for more details, the other party stopped responding.
Left with no choice, she gave up.
One thing was certain—neither she nor the original owner of this body had ever heard of this heart method.
After some thought, Wen Shuangbai got up and headed to the Qingling Mountain Library.
During the competition period, the library was packed to the brim.
Wen Shuangbai searched for half an hour before finally finding a small booklet tucked away in a corner on the third floor.
The booklet was quite new, its cover bearing the hastily scribbled words "Radiant Sun Heart Technique"—clearly something no one bothered with on a regular basis.
Standing in place, Wen Shuangbai flipped through it uncertainly.
The introduction stated that this "Radiant Sun Heart Technique" was meant for artifact cultivators to practice, serving as a method to strengthen the body.
Generally speaking, artifact cultivators would rather spend their energy crafting a personal defensive treasure than waste time on some body-strengthening technique.
No wonder no one read it.
Wen Shuangbai wasn’t sure if Senior Fugui had tricked her, but with nothing to lose, she decided to borrow the manual anyway.
"Senior Wen, Senior Wen, Senior…"
A lively, hesitant voice called out three times, but the tall woman in green robes ahead seemed not to hear, her bandaged feet moving swiftly.
The delicate-looking girl bit her lip slightly, activated her movement technique, and caught up to block Wen Shuangbai’s path. "Senior, please wait!"
Wen Shuangbai had been silently reciting the "Compendium of a Hundred Artifacts" while hurrying along.
Suddenly, a vision of loveliness—like a lotus emerging from water—appeared before her.
One glance was all it took to recognize who this was.
The female protagonist, Yu Xiaoxiao.
In the novel’s plot, it was always the original villainess (her past self) who sought out Yu Xiaoxiao to cause trouble. Never had it mentioned Yu Xiaoxiao coming to find her.
Don’t do this. She didn’t want too much interaction with the protagonist. All she wanted was to make a bit of money, improve her cultivation, and live a peaceful little life.
Wen Shuangbai was annoyed, and it showed on her face. "What do you want?"
Yu Xiaoxiao blinked, slightly hurt by her tone.
Glancing around at the nearby crowd, she whispered, "Senior Wen, could we speak somewhere private?"
"No." Wen Shuangbai was in a hurry to get home and study the "Radiant Sun Heart Technique." Her patience was thin. "Say what you need to say. I’m busy."
"Senior Wen, I’m sorry." Yu Xiaoxiao lowered her head, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her voice was soft, almost fragile—the kind that could melt hearts. "After Ziyin-gege woke up that day, he told me not to look for him again… Recently, I’ve heard some rumors, and I think you might have misunderstood my relationship with him… I just wanted to explain that there’s nothing between Ziyin-gege and me. We’ve only ever interacted as senior and junior. Please don’t blame him. From now on, I won’t disturb him anymore. You don’t have to worry…"
Wen Shuangbai: "?"
What nonsense.
What misunderstanding?
What does any of this have to do with me?
But Wen Shuangbai couldn’t be bothered to argue. Seeing that Yu Xiaoxiao showed no signs of stopping, she quickly cut in, "Yeah, yeah, okay, got it. That’s enough. I’m leaving!"
With that, she turned and bolted.
As she ran, Wen Shuangbai couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Earlier, Yu Xiaoxiao had said that Xie Ziyin woke up and told her not to seek him out. So this was what Lu Jiayao had meant when he said the two of them had a falling-out.
But in the novel, Xie Ziyin—the devoted second male lead—would never dare to get angry at Yu Xiaoxiao, so why would he say such things to her?
This scene wasn’t in the original plot either.
What the hell?
Wen Shuangbai sensed something was off, but she had more pressing matters to attend to.
So she brushed aside this trivial oddity and focused wholeheartedly on practicing the Radiant Heart Method.
The Radiant Heart Method was straightforward, and after running through it several times, Wen Shuangbai found it neither impressive nor problematic—just average.
❥ Chenyin’s work The Cannon Fodder’s Guide to Getting Rich latest update—though strengthening one’s physique was never an overnight achievement. It required persistence.
From then on, she decided to practice it a few times daily. Since she’d already learned it, no point wasting the effort.
After some deliberation, she tried reversing the method.
Pain—so much pain.
Damn it!
An indescribable agony surged through her limbs, and in an instant, Wen Shuangbai was drenched in cold sweat.
The natural instinct when in pain is to escape its source.
She reflexively wanted to stop, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that under the reversed Radiant Heart Method, the stubbornly inert scrap cauldron showed faint signs of loosening.
Huh?
She’d already endured this much—stopping now would mean suffering for nothing.
The logic was simple, so Wen Shuangbai cheerfully chose to endure and press on.
Honestly, if this actually worked and earned her a mountain of spirit stones, then let the pain come even fiercer!
On the scrap cauldron, the flawed runes Wen Feng had mistakenly carved years ago suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden light under Wen Shuangbai’s spiritual assault. The light flickered wildly, resisting her spiritual energy and even attempting to counterattack.
Wen Shuangbai found it downright annoying.
She’d already wasted nearly an entire day on this useless cauldron.
Competitions were like exam season—every second counted. Anything wasting her time deserved to be obliterated.
Gritting her teeth, she mustered all her resolve, embracing a kill-all-gods-and-buddhas-who-dare-block-my-money mentality, and pushed the reversed Radiant Heart Method to her absolute limit.
With a crisp snap, the runes shattered. The entire scrap cauldron cracked like an eggshell, then slowly melted away.
Only then did Wen Shuangbai stop.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, her face pale, she examined the strange, syrupy puddle on the table.
Technically, it resembled something between liquid and solid—like molten sugar—naturally separating into several smaller pools.
The largest pool was black: liquefied Crimson Goldstone.
The others were smaller and multicolored, remnants of the other materials used to forge the cauldron.
After some thought, she kneaded the sticky substance into lumps.
The hardest part was over; the rest of the refining process was relatively simple.
Wen Shuangbai breezed through it effortlessly. But since this was her first commission, she added extra reinforcement runes and a few practical features to ensure the cauldron met the client’s demand for cheap yet durable quality.
Soon, it was time for the handoff.
The client had arranged to meet at the back gate of the medical hall.
At the Hour of the Goat, Wen Shuangbai arrived a quarter of an hour early, as agreed, to show her respect for the guest.
Yet, she ended up encountering someone she had no desire to see.
Xie Ziyin, still wearing the same slightly worn linen robe from three days prior, pushed open the back door and stepped out, bending slightly as he did.
Ugh, what rotten luck.
Wen Shuangbai turned away, circling to the other side of the tree to avoid looking at him.
Xie Ziyin, of course, noticed Wen Shuangbai as well.
He said nothing—didn’t even spare her a glance—ignoring her completely as if she were invisible. He strode forward three steps, turned left, and walked toward another tree, where he stopped, crossed his arms, and leaned against the trunk, closing his eyes as if to rest.
It was late spring, verging on summer, and the area behind the medical hall was lush and verdant, a sea of emerald green.
The surroundings were quiet, save for the occasional chirping of songbirds flitting among the branches. The clamor from the front courtyard seemed worlds away, distant and indistinct.
Wen Shuangbai busied herself silently reciting passages from The Complete Compendium of Artifacts while waiting for her guest to appear.
After finishing one entry, the guest still hadn’t arrived.
She glanced at the sun’s position and pulled out her Mystic Heaven Mirror to message them.
[Artificer Wen, Super Affordable: I’m already here. Have you come out yet?
No Money: Yeah.]
Come out?
Wen Shuangbai peeked out from behind the tree. The back door of the medical hall stood empty—not a soul in sight.
The only person nearby was Xie Ziyin under the other tree, but Wen Shuangbai refused to acknowledge his existence.
Besides.
Xie Ziyin didn’t need an alchemy furnace. In the novel, he always used the one gifted to him by the female lead, Yu Xiaoxiao.
[Artificer Wen, Super Affordable: Huh, but I don’t see you. Are you sure it’s the back door of the medical hall?
No Money: Yeah.]
This was absurd.
Wen Shuangbai stepped out from under the tree and hurried to the back door, pacing around the area before finally planting her hands on her hips in the middle of the path. She shot a glare at the cursed figure beneath the tree.
Running into him really did bring misfortune.
Suppressing her irritation, she took a deep breath and patiently typed another message to her esteemed client.
[Artificer Wen, Super Affordable: What are you wearing? I’m in green.]
After a long wait, the reply finally came.
[No Money: White.]
At that moment, realization dawned on Wen Shuangbai.
Slowly, she turned her head, her gaze landing unerringly on Xie Ziyin.
The man in the faded white robe leaned against the tree trunk, his right hand holding the Mystic Heaven Mirror. Though his eyes were the shape of peach blossoms—typically associated with warmth and charm—the look he gave her was sharp and icy.
Care to guess whether this deal went through or not?
