Metal hammering sounds echoed within a lush courtyard filled with countless exotic plants, which spewed a thick qi-filled mist that lingered around a large workshop. Within was Qin Yun, deeply focused on his current task, engraving obscure symbols upon a small orange glowing monster core. To his side was Lian Huiling, slowly sipping a cup of tea as she watched him work.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to ask. What are those strange characters you always engrave on your work?” she asked.

Qin Yun's hands never stopped, striking a small chisel with a metallic hammer, all the while keeping the same rhythm as it dug into the core's surface, creating shallow grooves.

“There are many ways to forge an artifact, yet almost all of them require the usage of qi,” Qin Yun replied, the constant sound of his strikes ringing over his words.

"That's what I meant," she said as she took another sip. "I don't mean to be rude, but you can't even use the slightest bit of qi. So, how can you even forge artifacts? Doesn’t that seem impossible?”

“There are always ways to circumvent a problem. Just because you think it impossible doesn't mean no solution exists."

Lian Huiling sighed.

“That’s a non-answer if I ever heard one. Can’t you just tell the truth, for once?”

Qin Yun raised his head from his work, looking at the elegant woman for the first time.

"I don't believe you took the time out of your busy schedule just to ask me about forging techniques. What are you truly here for?"

Lian Huiling returned his stare, yet she couldn’t sustain it for long. She lowered her gaze, looking deeply into the amber tea water.

“What’s your opinion of this city?” she asked.

“Why would my opinion matter?" Qin Yun replied as he returned to his work. "Besides, that's not what you truly want to ask me. It should be related to your lover boy. I heard you've held him captive deep within the Lian Clan. That's quite the kink you have there."

“Enough,” she replied softly, a frown on her lovely face. “I didn’t come here for you to make light of the situation...”

"I know," Qin Yun cut her off. "You want my help to bring him back to normal. I know you are attached to him, but you should face reality. This is what he chose, and he should face the consequences."

“There must be something that can be done?” she pleaded, yet Qin Yun’s gaze remained lowered on his work, striking his chisel to a repetitive rhythm.

“Is there really nothing you can do?” she added, pain filling her voice. “I know there's much you're not telling us, but you aren't that coldhearted."

Qin Yun sighed as he rose once again.

“Would you still wish to save him, even if it would endanger the whole of the Lian clan?”

Lian Huiling remained silent, pondering his words. As time passed, her pain-filled expression soon transitioned to one of hardened resolve, as if the desperation she had expressed had been but a fleeting dream.

"If those are my only options, then the choice doesn't even need to be made," she replied in a steel tone. "Still, how can you be so sure? Does this have anything to do with your recent stay with the Sun clan?”

At that moment, Qin Yun's expression was all Lian Huiling needed to know the answer. She looked at him as she took another sip, only to see Qin Yun shrug and return to work.

“Why must everything be so complicated?” she said softly, just loud enough for Qin Yun to hear, prompting him to show a slight helpless smile.

“As long as people possess desires, conflicts will be inevitable,” he replied.

"There's no need to point the obvious," Lian Huiling scoffed, yet she, too, showed a helpless smile.

As the two were basking in the moment, another voice drowned out the hammering emanating from the workshop.

“Qin Yun! You bastard! What do you have to say for yourself?”

The door to Qin Yun’s workshop opened with a bang, revealing a young lady in a white dress, her golden locks falling softly upon her thin shoulders, yet unlike the elegance that exuded from her, her expression was one of deep frustration.

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"A good morning to you, too," Qin Yun replied, not even bothering to raise his head, striking his chisel without faltering. Lian Huiling, however, only showed a derisive smile as she recognized the young lady.

“Sun Ya! Is that any way to behave? What would your fans think if they saw you act like this?" she asked.

“Leave those fools out of this,” Sun Ya replied, an expression of disgust on her face. “They’re irrelevant, and I couldn’t care less what they think.”

Lian Huiling shook her head, saying, "I wonder what they see in her to be so obsessed..."

“There's no need to seek understanding," Qin Yun replied, unconcerned by Sun Ya's outburst. "Fetishes are everywhere, and some men just want to be stepped on."

The two women stopped and looked at him, eyes wide open. Qin Yun could feel the rising awkwardness, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Sun Ya's glare became even colder as she looked at Qin Yun, and his chuckle turned into a hearty laugh.

"Right there," he said as he looked back at Sun Ya, smiling brightly. "That look is exactly what they want from you."

“Men are pigs,” Sun Ya murmured under her breath.

“I agree,” Lian Huiling added, showing a disgusted expression.

“Indeed,” Qin Yun said as he returned to his work.

Silence hung over Qin Yun’s workshop while only metallic striking sounds cut through it. Still, it only took a moment for Sun Ya to return to her senses.

“Don’t change the subject!” she said, the frustration in her voice clearly apparent. “You know exactly what you did; how could you?”

“You’ll have to be more precise than that,” Qin Yun replied, not bothering to interrupt his work to acknowledge her outburst. “There’s many things that people try to pin on me.”

“Ma Yongzheng’s dead,” Sun Ya added, her tone extremely grave.

“And how does that relate to me?”

“Rumours are growing rampant in the city saying you did it. We all witnessed the grudge between the two of you.”

Qin Yun rose from his work, his expression as calm as a peaceful lake. The two women couldn’t help but feel shivers down their spines as they looked upon him. Somehow, this indifference felt much more eerie than they expected.

“Do they have any evidence to back up their claims?” Qin Yun asked.

Sun Ya remained silent, unable to offer any. She could only gaze into Qin Yun's eyes, trying to uncover the truth, yet she gained nothing to confirm her suspicions.

“I thought as much,” Qin Yun added as he shrugged. “I doubt the Ma clan would move on mere speculations, not unless the Sun clan let them.”

Qin Yun's gaze rested on Sun Ya, making her feel uneasy. After a moment of silence, she turned her head away, unable to sustain his gaze; she sighed.

"Of course not," Sun Ya said softly. "Uncle won't let it come to that as long as you keep your end of the deal. Besides, it seems the Ma Clan already have a suspect in mind."

“Is that so, then why are you so nervous?”

“You obviously can’t be trusted!”

“That's quite the prejudice you have. What did I ever do to you?" Qin Yun said, feeling quite perplexed by her obvious resentment. Only after a moment of contemplation did it finally occur to him. "This is about Liao Cheng, isn't it? It seems you've heard about what happened between us. Rest assured, I've no interest in whatever game he's trying to play. You should really think about yourself.”

“I don’t need your pity!” Sun Ya blurted out, responding to the look he gave her. “Are you done with what’s been asked of you?”

“Nearly,” Qin Yun replied, showing a slight smile. “You came just at the right time. I’m just making the finishing touches.”

Qin Yun's chisel danced upon the orb's surface, carving shallow grooves. With only a few more hits, the last channel was finally completed, creating a web of exotic characters upon the core's surface. Then, as if filled with an esoteric power, the core rose into the air by itself, spinning on its axis as it dispersed waves of power in its surroundings.

The two women watched the spectacle with wide-open eyes, barely able to understand what was happening. However, they could feel that the power originating from the orb could do wonders for their cultivation as if it contained the secrets of the universe.

They both sat on the ground in a lotus position, closing their eyes as they tried to uncover the mysteries within. Ray of light spewed from the orb, bathing Qin Yun’s workshop in a dense sea of colours reminiscent of what he had seen coming from Feng Xia, if only more diluted. After all, compared to a living specimen, this orb was only the monster core of a Paradise bird. The fact that it possessed even a fraction of its power was astounding.

Even for Qin Yun, this phenomenon was unexpected. The characters he had carved upon its surface were only a means to regulate the power, allowing it to be extracted while not encroaching upon its structural integrity. After all, monster cores were but a mass of power. Wrongly trying to extract whatever was within could easily lead to an explosion.

Satisfied, Qin Yun looked upon his work with a slight smile. Yet, unlike the two women trying to comprehend what lay within, he didn't even bother. There was no point as no human could ever learn such a thing. This was something he was deeply aware of after interacting with Feng Xia.

The power over causality that she often used was granted to her species by the Heavenly Dao. After all, how could a living being possess such a broken ability. This power alone could make one invincible, yet, as far as he knew, Paradise Birds were almost extinct. It seemed this power came with many restrictions, which Qin Yun was deeply opposed to wielding. Maybe he could make this power his own in time. However, he felt he would become nothing more than a pawn of the heavenly Dao, something he had no interest in.

Still, he wouldn't stop the two women from trying. After all, power was the same for all things. Only the method of using it differed. Maybe they could extract something from this experience. Still, now that he made good on his promise, Qin Yun was finally ready to leave and embark on the journey he had put off for quite a while.

As he looked at the spectacle, a middle-aged man appeared next to him, as if from thin air, his white robes bathed in colourful light.

“Is this what you have promised me?” he asked.

Qin Yun didn’t even bother to look at him and only responded with a nod. The man’s gaze was calm and peaceful, unbothered by Qin Yun’s insolence as he stretched his hand forward, reaching to take possession of the core.

As if in defiance, the core's glow became stronger, almost blinding, yet its opponent was akin to the sun itself, and it was only the glow of a candle. The man's hand wrapped around the core as it dimmed, becoming inert before the man carefully tucked it in his clothes.

"Very good," he said in a low voice, slightly smiling.

“I’ve done what you asked,” Qin Yun replied, then pointed to the mark on his chest. “How about you remove this now?”

The middle-aged man looked back at him, offering only a smile before he vanished alongside the orb, leaving Qin Yun alone with the two women, deep in a trance.

Qin Yun sighed as he shook his head, yet there was no frustration in his gaze. In fact, he seemed somewhat interested. After a while, Qin Yun pointed two fingers to his chest, right where the mark was, buried deep in his flesh. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling every minute movement his body made.

Then, everything was still as if the world was dead and time had perished. Only Qin Yun's mind remained sharp as a blade. Soon after, a cracking sound burst into existence, shattering the women's concentration. They woke from their trances, only to see the mark of light the city lord had left upon Qin Yun's heart being shattered into countless pieces before scattering into the void.

Qin Yun stood still as if waiting for something. Yet, even as time passed, nothing happened. He had expected to see the city lord rush back once he felt his mark being shattered, yet that wasn't the case, which couldn't help but leave Qin Yun perplexed. He crossed his arms, tilted his head and pondered.

Even for me, this man is an enigma, Qin Yun thought. I wonder what his endgame is?