The inn's lobby was cozy, with warm wooden tones and soft lantern light casting gentle shadows. Lingling, still looking slightly startled from her encounter with Yin'er, quickly regained her composure. She smiled apologetically at Jin Shu and Su Bing as Yin'er floated curiously beside her.

"I'm Linglong's twin sister, Lingling," she explained with a soft chuckle. "We may look the same, but we're quite different. Linglong is easily excitable and rambunctious, always running around, while I prefer... Well, let's just say I enjoy the slower pace of innkeeping. It was originally my idea to start an inn, and then Linglong and my other sisters decided they wanted to try their hands at innkeeping as well."

Jin Shu nodded, still slightly taken aback by the uncanny resemblance between the two sisters. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lingling. Your sister helped us quite a bit on our journey."

"Yin'er likes Big Sister Linglong. She taught me what a handsome is! Look, this is my handsome daddy!" Yin'er exclaimed as she came down to rest on Jin Shu's shoulder.

"Haa... This one and your sister get along very well," Jin Shu sighed in exasperation.

"I'm not surprised. They both seem to share a similar... attitude, among other things," Lingling replied with a soft chuckle, her eyes lingering on Yin'er as she alighted. "She loves pulling pranks, and I'm sure you were on the receiving end of those pranks. Anyway, make yourselves comfortable. You're the only guests tonight, so you’ll have the place to yourselves."

As they settled into their rooms, the night passed uneventfully. The inn was quiet, save for the distant sound of the city still bustling outside. Jin Shu lay in bed, his mind racing with thoughts of the tomb his grandfather had spoken of. Tomorrow, they would search for it.

---

The next morning, Jin Shu found Lingling in the inn's kitchen, brewing tea with a relaxed air. After exchanging pleasantries, he decided to ask her the question that had been on his mind.

"Do you know of any tombs in this area?" Jin Shu asked as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Lingling paused, her expression thoughtful. "Tombs, you say? Well, there is an old tomb located in the forest just outside the city. It's not well-known—most people avoid it because of the eerie aura around it. But if you're looking for a tomb, that's the one I'd recommend."

Jin Shu thanked her and quickly relayed the information to Su Bing. They decided to set out for the tomb immediately after breakfast.

---

As they left the inn, the three horses meandered over from the stables. Jin Shu couldn't help but notice the tension between Galaxy and Sky. The two horses were bickering through their telepathic connection, and it didn't take long for Jin Shu to understand why.

"Are you seriously still thinking about that Qilin horse?" Sky scolded, her mental voice sharp.

"It was just a glance!" Galaxy defended himself, his tone exasperated. "She’s... interesting, that’s all."

"Interesting? You were practically drooling over her!" Sky shot back, her mane flickering with irritation. "Get any dumb ideas out of your head right now! She's young enough to be your daughter, plus I asked her last night, and she said she's not interested in you!"

"What!? I never had any of those kinds of thoughts! I promise." Although Galaxy acted a little frivolous, he was always loyal to his wife.

Just as they were saddling up and about to set off, the Jadeite Qilin horse came trotting over from the stables. She came up beside Galaxy and Jin Shu.

Sky gave Galaxy a nasty look, but he genuinely didn't know why she had come over to him.

The young Qilin horse looked up at Yin'er and asked in curiosity with the voice of a young girl, "You smell like Big Sister Linglong! Are you her daughter?"

"No, Yin'er is Daddy's daughter!" Yin'er said as she jumped down from Galaxy's back and circled around the jade horse. "You are very pretty, Big Sister Horsie. Do you want to be Yin'er's friend?"

"Oh! I can be your friend!?" The jade horse jumped up, clearly excited about making a new friend. "I don't have any friends other than my four sisters. I've always wanted more friends because my sisters can't play with me."

Inside the inn, Lingling glanced up from a book she was reading—with a cover that was partially obscured by her hand, however, the readable parts read: *Rise of the Four.* "Haa..." She sighed as if she could see through the solid walls.

Back outside, Star whinnied nervously and asked to be friends with the jade horse as well. "C-can I be friends with y-you too?"

The jadeite horse glanced down at the foal that was a head shorter than herself. She nodded vigorously. "Of course! You two can be this big sister's little brother and sister!"

"Um, how old are you?" Star asked, curious to know why she was calling herself their big sister.

"I'm ten years old!" she said proudly, as if it was some kind of great achievement.

Star reeled in shock. "I'm older than you! I'm twelve years old, I should be the big brother!" he said. His earlier nervousness had flown away.

"But I'm taller, so I'm the big sister!" the jade horse retorted, sounding irritated.

"Yin'er is two! But Yin'er is stronger than Star, so Yin'er is Star's big sister!" Yin'er chimed in on the other two's argument.

"Wha! But...! Urgh!" Star wanted to argue against that; however, it was true that Yin'er was much stronger than him. He had only reached the 3rd stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, but Yin'er was already at the 3rd stage of the Core Forging Realm, an entire realm above him.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As the three little creatures argued playfully, they continued on their way, searching for the tomb outside of the city.

---

After a few hours of searching, they found the tomb. It was hidden deep within the forest, nestled between ancient trees that towered over them like silent sentinels. The entrance was marked by a large stone archway, covered in moss and vines. The air around the tomb was thick with an eerie, almost oppressive energy.

"This should be the place we're looking for," Jin Shu murmured, his gaze fixed on the dark entrance.

As they stepped inside, the air grew colder, and the light from the outside world seemed to fade away. Su Bing shivered but grit her teeth and bravely moved forward, even though she desperately wanted to avoid this creepy place.

"Hopefully a large boulder doesn't chase us down this flight of stairs!" Jin Shu joked, which provoked a strange look from Su Bing, as she didn't understand the joke.

They lit a few lanterns to guide their way through the winding passages. Eventually, they reached a large chamber, where a faint glow emanated from the center.

Floating in the center of the room was a translucent figure, its form shifting between solid and ethereal. The spirit was tall and regal, with long flowing robes and a wise yet sharp gaze. Jin Shu wondered if this was the spirit his grandfather had spoken of.

"Who dares enter my tomb?" The spirit's voice echoed through the chamber, filled with ancient power.

Jin Shu stepped forward, his voice steady. "My name is Jin Shu. My grandfather spoke of you. He told me you had sent him to find a genius capable of inheriting your great legacy. I am the genius that he had sent to honor his promise."

The spirit's eyes narrowed as he observed Jin Shu closely. Suddenly, his expression shifted from suspicion to curiosity. "You... your blood... your bones... They are not normal."

Without warning, Long Qing began to circle Jin Shu, his divine sense probing every inch of Jin Shu's body. Jin Shu tensed as he felt the spirit's presence deep within him, poking and prodding at his very essence. There was an extremely painful sensation inside his body, as if something was scratching at his bones.

"Argh! What are you doing to me!?" Jin Shu choked out as the pain continued to build, before abruptly disappearing as if it was never there.

"Amazing... truly amazing!" the spirit exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder. "Your physique is unlike anything I've ever seen. Metal blood, metal bones... yet you are still human. Your pain tolerance is extraordinary. You are the perfect match for my Runic Arts!"

Jin Shu winced as the spirit continued his inspection, but he gritted his teeth and endured the discomfort. The spirit seemed lost in his own excitement as he muttered to himself.

"Normally, one can only inscribe a limited number of runes based on their pain tolerance and natural healing abilities... but you, Jin Shu, are different. Your body can handle far more than anyone else. And your bones... they can merge with the runes themselves!"

"How did you know that?" Jin Shu asked incredulously.

"Because I inscribed runes onto your bones. Don't worry, though, I erased them, so they won't affect you," the spirit explained. However, his explanation didn't make much sense to Jin Shu. How could he inscribe runes onto his bones? And what was the significance behind such an act?

Finally, the spirit stopped his probing and floated back, his expression one of deep satisfaction. "Very well, Jin Shu. I shall pass on my inheritance to you—the Runic Arts. This technique allows one to inscribe runes directly onto their body, using Qi to etch them into the skin and bones. And for someone like you, the possibilities are limitless."

Jin Shu felt a surge of energy as the spirit reached his hand forward and placed it against his head. A rush of knowledge flooded into him. The Runic Arts were complex, yet they felt strangely familiar, as if they were meant for him. He could see the intricate patterns of the runes in his mind, each one a key to unlocking greater power.

But there was more. The spirit revealed that the Runic Arts also allowed for the creation of new runes—runes that didn't exist before. This was the true potential of the technique, and it was what had led to the spirit's downfall.

The spirit turned around, facing the ceiling with his arms akimbo at his sides, in what he believed to be an awe-inspiring pose. "I bet you've heard of me before. I am Long Qing! Once the greatest genius to grace these lands!" The spirit waited for their shocked voices to resound. However, when he didn't hear anything, he turned back around.

The two humans and one little tiger were just standing there, staring at him in confusion.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of me!? I was the Long Family's greatest genius! I created most of the runes that have gotten popular over the years! You've really never heard of such a wonderful figure?"

All three silently shook their heads. They had truly never heard the name Long Qing before.

"Haa… well, let me tell you about myself. I was born into the Long Family, but I couldn't cultivate...

That was when I attempted to create an Immortality Rune." Long Qing had given his entire life story, and now an hour later, he was finally at the end, his voice heavy with regret. "I wanted to grant immortality to all. But the heavens punished me for my hubris. My body was destroyed, and my soul was shattered. Yet, even in death, I persisted, waiting for someone worthy to continue my legacy."

Jin Shu listened in silence, feeling the weight of Long Qing's words. The power to create runes was incredible, but it also came with great risk. He knew that he would have to be careful, or he might suffer the same fate as Long Qing.

"I'm curious. Is it possible to create a rune that would extend someone's life without provoking the heavens?" Jin Shu asked a question that had come to mind after he learned about the Immortality Rune.

"I'm unsure. I never attempted a rune like that myself, other than the Immortality Rune, that is." Long Qing responded with an intrigued look on his translucent face. "You can try to create one yourself if you'd like. However, I must warn you, if you feel a strong sense of foreboding, you must stop your attempt. Otherwise, you'll end up like me. Having ignored the signs, I pushed that sense of foreboding away, and now look at me. You can tell that didn't work out great, haha!"

Finally, Long Qing's form began to fade, his energy spent. "Jin Shu, you have the potential to achieve great things. But remember, power comes with responsibility. Use the Runic Arts wisely... and perhaps, one day, you will succeed where I failed."

With those final words, Long Qing disappeared, leaving the three standing in the chamber, shocked. They didn't expect Long Qing to disappear so suddenly and were unsure if he was truly gone.

As they left the tomb, Jin Shu realized he had forgotten to ask Long Qing something. "Ah! I forgot to ask about the rune on your mask, Su Bing!"

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that as well. However, you needn't worry about it for my sake. I'm sure we can find a way to fix it in the future."

"Didn't the ghosty guy say that Daddy can make runes? Why doesn't Daddy just make a new one?"

Jin Shu and Su Bing stared wide-eyed at Yin'er. They were both stunned that she had thought of something so simple, yet it was the exact answer they needed.

---

Back outside, the two adult horses were still bickering, but Jin Shu couldn't help but smile. They had found the tomb, received the inheritance, and now, the next chapter of their journey awaited them.

The Jade horse—Qi Lin, she was called. She had told them her name as they searched for the tomb—and Star came running up to them as they exited the tomb.

"Big Brother Shu!" Qi Lin rubbed her snout up against Jin Shu's chest. She was about two heads shorter than him, so that was where her head could reach. Otherwise, she may have rubbed up against his face.

Qi Lin had taken an inexplicable liking to Jin Shu shortly after they met. He had asked her why, but she just replied that she didn't know and just liked him a lot.

"Let's head back to the city," Jin Shu said, mounting Galaxy once more. "Maybe we can attend that auction when we get back."

Su Bing nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "And perhaps you could create some new runes."

As they rode off into the distance, Jin Shu couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The future was uncertain, but with the power of the Runic Arts, he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.