As soon as Dr. Hu finished speaking, the spirit stone powder mixed with Datura flower juice in Cangshu Bai's hand burst into small sparks once again. Finally, it emitted a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.
Cangshu Bai remained quiet and said nothing.
Dr. Hu was baffled, but after taking one look at Cangshu Bai's complexion, he didn't dare to say anything more.
Ever since Cangshu Bai entered the clinic today, he had been grinding spirit stones into powder one by one and crushing Datura flowers. Small flames had been burning back and forth without stopping.
What strange spell was he practicing now?
After a while, Cangshu Bai wiped the black ash off his hands with a handkerchief and asked, "In the craftsman's trade, have you ever heard of something called a circuit?"
Dr. Hu shook his head. "Never heard of it."
At the mention of craftsmen, Dr. Hu rolled his eyes thoughtfully. "Does it have to do with my godmother? Are you trying to make something for her, Godfather?"
Cangshu Bai remained silent.
Dr. Hu suddenly had a strong urge to laugh.
This menace practiced an unorthodox path; alchemy, forging, talismans... he had to dabble in all of them. It just so happened that although his talent wasn't the absolute best, he was incredibly ruthless to himself. He had also insidiously snatched quite a few secret manuals, so he was able to do well in every aspect.
Dr. Hu had thought he was omnipotent, but it turned out there were things he couldn't figure out either.
He cleared his throat. "Godfather, as the saying goes, there is a specialization in every trade..."
"Do you know what a circuit is?"
Dr. Hu: "...I don't know."
Cangshu Bai picked up his things and left. "One cannot discuss ice with a summer insect."
Dr. Hu: "..."
What are you so arrogant about?
If it weren't for Godmother, wouldn't you be clueless too!
Dr. Hu muttered in his heart, but ultimately didn't dare to say it out loud. He picked up a rag and started cleaning.
Carrying her toolbox on her back, Mu Ran arrived at the Yueran Inn. The boss had already received instructions. Upon hearing that she was here to deliver something to Fairy Hongfu, he hurriedly led her up to the second floor personally, arriving in front of the Heaven-grade guest room.
Suddenly, a terrifying sound of a whip lashing came from the room, followed by someone falling to the ground with a loud thud.
Both the boss and Mu Ran shuddered.
Mu Ran looked at the boss, inquiring with her eyes.
The boss shook his head, indicating that he didn't dare to recklessly discuss the immortals.
A maid's voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
The boss quickly replied, "It's Miss Mu, here to deliver the items the Fairy ordered."
Before long, the door opened. The maid who had visited the workshop last time glanced at Mu Ran and said, "Come in."
Mu Ran walked into the guest room, and the next moment, the door closed behind her.
The room was permeated with the smell of blood. An old man covered in blood lay on the ground, his skin and flesh torn open. It was unknown what kind of spell had been cast upon him, but his soul floated outside his body, bound by chains. His soul emitted a scorching red hue, as if it were being burned by raging flames, causing him unbearable agony.
Faintly, Mu Ran seemed to smell a burning scent. She subconsciously covered her mouth and nose, not daring to look any further.
"You have quite the courage, not screaming and collapsing to the ground."
The woman's voice was ethereal and pleasant to the ear, yet it carried an air of careless indifference.
Mu Ran looked up.
The woman in red wore a veil, revealing only a pair of cold, rippling eyes with a slightly light pupil color. When her gaze swept over, it carried not a trace of warmth; a mere passing glance was considered charity. Even with the lower half of her face concealed by the veil, her condescending arrogance was undiminished.
Mu Ran said, "I had heard of the Fairy's great name before I came. It is the fortune of three lifetimes to meet a Fairy that ordinary people rarely get to see in their entire lives. Therefore, my heart was only filled with excitement and nervousness, and I couldn't care about anything else."
Hongfu had heard plenty of flattery and felt nothing towards Mu Ran's words. However, her gaze landed on Mu Ran's face and lingered for a few extra moments.
Mu Ran was extremely bright and beautiful. Her brows and eyes were relaxed and gentle, yet she did not appear weak. Her eyes were as clear as water, seeming to hold a faint glimmer when she looked quietly. She didn't dodge or evade, exuding a calm confidence. With light makeup, she naturally possessed a clean and transparent aura.
Hongfu asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"
Mu Ran shook her head. "If I had met the Fairy, I would certainly remember it for the rest of my life. But today is indeed my first time meeting the Fairy."
Hongfu also suspected that she was overthinking it. She asked directly, "Where are the things I asked for?"
Mu Ran opened her toolbox and took out the three pager chickens. The two maids took them and presented them to Hongfu for inspection.
Hongfu only took one look before withdrawing her gaze. A rare sense of curiosity arose within her as she asked, "How did you come up with the idea to make these little trinkets? As far as I know, even the artifacts crafted by artifact-forging masters aren't necessarily as interesting as your little creations."
Mu Ran replied, "I just have some free time and occasionally come up with a little ingenuity. I didn't expect that when I tried making them, I'd actually succeed. Nor did I expect that my little trinkets would one day catch the Fairy's eye."
Hongfu, however, developed some other thoughts.
Mu Ran had talent. If she gave her an opportunity and recommended her to cultivate on Mount Zhushen, perhaps she could be of use to her when she became successful in the future.
But she looked Mu Ran up and down and quickly dismissed this idea.
Mu Ran had no spirit root; she would never amount to anything great.
That made sense. Among the myriad of living beings in this world, most were mediocre and ordinary. How many geniuses like Hongfu could there be?
The sun had not yet set when Cangshu Bai left the clinic early once again. He arrived at the Song family workshop but didn't find the person he was looking for.
Boss Song said, "Miss Mu went to the Yueran Inn to deliver things to Fairy Hongfu. Didn't you know, little doctor?"
Hongfu.
Cangshu Bai frowned slightly and turned to leave.
The closer he got to the inn, the more the cold fish hidden in his sleeve sensed its master's suppressed emotions and became increasingly restless.
Was it a coincidence, or a scheme?
Cangshu Bai's pitch-black eyes were like stagnant water, but deep within the darkness, undercurrents were already surging.
It wasn't until a girl in a green skirt walked out of the inn. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she called out with a smile, "Jinzhi!"
She ran briskly, her skirt fluttering gently. Her clear eyes reflected only him, her brows and eyes curving into a warm crescent moon, her smile as bright as crushed starlight.
Cangshu Bai's heart, which had sunk to the bottom of an icy pool, suddenly resumed its normal beating. He reached out and caught her as she hurried over, holding her slightly cold hands. After slowly warming them up, the undercurrents deep in his eyes gradually subsided, replaced once again by tenderness.
Mu Ran picked up a coin pouch and shook it, jingling inside. She shared her joy with him. "There are five hundred more spirit stones in here! My pouch almost couldn't fit them all. On our way back, let's go to the Xuanbao Pavilion and buy a better quality pouch that can hold more things."
Cangshu Bai took her toolbox, his fingers gently brushing her bangs. "Whatever you say."
Mu Ran smiled, grabbing his hand to walk back, muttering, "Let's buy a Cosmos Sack while we're at it. In the future, when you gather herbs, you won't have to carry a medicine basket on your back. It'll be so much more convenient. Also, we have to eat well tonight. Later, we'll go weigh a few pounds of meat and buy some ribs to make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."
Cangshu Bai said, "Sweet and sour pork ribs are your favorite."
"Oh, come on! We are husband and wife, so why make a distinction between yours and mine? What I like, you must certainly like too, right?" She tilted her face up and blinked her bright eyes, stars seemingly twinkling within them.
The corners of Cangshu Bai's eyes curved in a gentle smile. "Right."
Mu Ran let out a happy laugh.
Up in the room on the second floor of the inn, the stench of blood and scorched flesh was overwhelmingly pungent.
A maid spoke up, "Fairy, Old Man Longsword still refuses to open his mouth and reveal the whereabouts of the magical treasure."
The soul of Old Man Longsword wanted to weep but had no tears to shed.
It was not that he was refusing to speak!
The truth was, when his throat was slit, a restriction had also been placed upon him. Whenever he tried to mention that his precious treasure had been stolen, he would be unable to make a sound. Even if he tried to pick up a brush to write, his body would freeze, making it impossible to disclose any related information.
Hongfu stood by the window, watching the young couple disappear into the crowd below. A strange sensation fluttered in her heart, fleeting and too fast to grasp.
She recalled a trip she had made to Mount Biyun ten years ago. At that time, she had seen a seven-year-old girl holding a bell, bizarrely speaking into it with a "hello, hello, hello," while a pile of tools lay scattered at her feet.
That girl had loved tinkering with little gadgets, and she bore a slight resemblance to the Mu Ran she had seen today.
However, Mu Ran did not possess the innate root bone required for cultivation, and Hongfu could not sense any cultivation base from her husband, either.
Hongfu could not help but think that perhaps she was just overthinking things.
She turned around, looking at Old Man Longsword, whose soul looked as though it were about to be torn apart. "If he refuses to speak, keep torturing him until he does."
Old Man Longsword truly wanted to burst into a loud, wailing cry.
