Since she had decided to leave home for a while, Mu Ran resolved to work harder over the next few days to finish all the little gadgets her customers had previously ordered.
That day at the Song family workshop, she said to Boss Song, "I have to go on a long trip. It should take about a month or two. Boss Song, if there are any new orders during this time, they will just have to wait until I get back."
Boss Song was very reluctant to let go of a cash cow like Mu Ran.
Although Mu Ran was not an artisan directly employed by his workshop, having her affiliated with his shop had brought in a lot of business and made him quite a bit of money.
He couldn't help but ask, "It's getting close to the end of the year. Why are you taking a long trip at a time like this?"
Mu Ran replied, "I'm going back to his hometown with Jinzhi to pay respects to his parents."
Since it was to pay respects to his parents, Boss Song had no reason to ask her to stay.
He nodded and said, "Alright. If any customers specifically ask for your work, I'll explain it to them. If they can wait, they can place an order; if not, we'll just let it go."
Although Boss Song was a businessman, he was quite honest and kind; otherwise, Mu Ran wouldn't have worked with him for so long.
Right at that moment, a customer walked into the shop.
Yue Qingfeng wore a blue Daoist robe that outlined his tall, slender figure. His features were refined and elegant, exuding a handsome, naturally transcendent Daoist aura.
Seeing that he was dressed in the attire of a Mount Chongyang disciple, Boss Song's attitude became even more respectful. "Daoist Master, your presence brings light to my humble shop. What might you be looking for today?"
Yue Qingfeng looked straight at Mu Ran and smiled. "I am here to look for Miss Mu."
Boss Song looked back and forth between Yue Qingfeng and Mu Ran, muttering in his heart about what kind of luck Mu Ran had stumbled into lately. Why were all these cultivators suddenly coming to find her one after another?
Mu Ran still remembered that this Daoist Master was the one who had previously stepped in to deal with that violently mutated half-demon beast-man. She walked over with a polite smile. "Daoist Master, what can I do for you?"
Yue Qingfeng said, "The other day, I saw Martial Aunt Hongfu use a peculiar magical treasure to track down the hiding Old Man Longsword. Later, I heard that Martial Aunt Hongfu had commissioned you to make a few more magical treasures called Beeper Chickens. To be favored by Martial Aunt Hongfu, the items you make must truly be extraordinary."
He offered some flattery first before stating the purpose of his visit. "I would like to ask you to help make a few more of the same magical treasure. Of course, I will pay whatever price Martial Aunt Hongfu paid. How does that sound?"
These cultivators from prestigious sects really had more money than they knew what to do with.
Although Mu Ran was very tempted by the spirit stones, she still shook her head and answered truthfully, "I am going back to my husband's hometown, and I won't be back for quite a long time. If you can wait for two months, Daoist Master, I can take your order."
She assumed that cultivators were all very busy and that Yue Qingfeng wouldn't have the time to wait, but his answer took her by surprise.
"In that case, I will come back to collect them in two months."
Mu Ran was stunned for a moment, but quickly replied, "Alright."
Over at the medical clinic, after seeing off a patient, Doctor Hu was once again bowing and scraping as he served tea and poured water for his godfather.
Cangshu Bai sat in a chair, flipping through a book in his hands. Without even looking up, he said, "I need to leave for a period of time. While I'm away, you will stay here and continue being the clinic's doctor. If there is any sign of trouble, send a voice transmission to me."
Doctor Hu was deeply surprised. "Why are you leaving, Godfather? Is your cultivation about to break through a bottleneck?"
Cangshu Bai did indeed feel that his cultivation realm was on the verge of a breakthrough recently, and he needed a safe environment to advance. However, the more important reason was, "There will soon be a storm of blood and gore here. I don't want Ranran to get caught up in this turmoil."
So it was for his godmother again.
Doctor Hu quietly observed Cangshu Bai, only feeling that the more human this fiend seemed, the more uncomfortable it made him. Thinking back to the first time he clashed with Cangshu Bai, Cangshu Bai was merely a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator.
But Cangshu Bai was insidious. Not only did he kill opponents above his own level, but he also slaughtered the entire small sect he had joined at the time. His bloodshot, murderous frenzy had completely thwarted Doctor Hu, who had only wanted to take advantage of the chaos to snatch some treasures.
Later, a restriction was planted over Doctor Hu's heart. If Cangshu Bai died, Doctor Hu would die too.
Doctor Hu had no choice but to obey Cangshu Bai in all matters. At first, he harbored deep resentment, only wanting to bide his time until the day he could break the restriction and kill Cangshu Bai in return. However, after following Cangshu Bai for so many years, he had indeed received quite a few benefits, and his desire to kill Cangshu Bai had become much more complicated.
Cangshu Bai was taking his beautiful wife back to his hometown, leaving him here to work like a horse.
Doctor Hu was slightly dissatisfied, but he dared not show it. He peeked at the book in Cangshu Bai's hands again and asked curiously, "Has Godfather recently taken an interest in forbidden arts again?"
The reason forbidden arts were called forbidden arts was that they required the practitioner to pay a personal price.
Cultivators loved to scheme against others to snatch resources, but it was rare to see someone wanting to learn a forbidden art to scheme against themselves.
Cangshu Bai didn't answer Doctor Hu. The book of forbidden arts in his hands was a manual he had looted over two hundred years ago when he slaughtered the first small sect he had belonged to.
At the time, he hadn't been interested in so-called forbidden arts. It was only because of the dream Mu Ran had mentioned that he took it out on a whim.
As he turned another page of the book, his fingertips paused slightly.
—Sever a meridian within oneself, use one's own essence blood and bones as a catalyst, and transform one's lifeblood aura into bindings to entangle the dissipating, departing soul.
Sever an inch, confine a fraction. The more intense the bone-splitting agony, the slower the soul's drifting becomes, until that wisp of a fading soul is firmly locked within one's own vessel by blood and bone, never to dissipate again.
Cangshu Bai's brows furrowed slightly, a heavy, inexplicable gloom settling over him.
Sensing that something was wrong, Doctor Hu silently took a few steps back, not daring to make a single sound.
Today, as usual, Cangshu Bai arrived at the entrance of the workshop to pick her up before the sun had even set.
Mu Ran ran out with brisk steps, lifting her face to reveal a bright smile. "Jinzhi, I got another big order today."
Cangshu Bai took her hand and walked back with her, asking softly, "Didn't you say you wouldn't take any more orders?"
"Right, that's what I said. But Daoist Master Yue said he could wait to pick them up in two months. There's no rush, and I can take my time making them, so I agreed."
He asked, "Daoist Master Yue?"
"He's the Daoist Master who stepped forward to resolve the crisis the other day when that beast-ified man charged out to hurt people. We exchanged names; he is called Yue Qingfeng, a thirteenth-generation disciple of Mount Chongyang." A look of admiration appeared on Mu Ran's face. "Mount Chongyang! I've heard the name of this sect before. They say everyone on the mountain cultivates the Dao of the Sword. Unlike other sects that would easily wipe out entire clans just to plunder resources, their sect motto is simply the word 'Righteousness'."
