Chapter 499: The Father of the Matrilocal Son-in-Law Qi Yuan, Path of Artifact Refining

Chapter 499: The Father of the Live-in Son-in-Law Qi Yuan, the Path of Artifact Forging

In the Celestial Kun Strange Land, Qi Yuan had once collected forging methods and studied them.

The Celestial Clan, where Can Pao belonged, had once suffered the erosion of the Black Heaven, their world teetering and ultimately destroyed.

The Celestial Clan had long pursued the forging of a Radiant Marvel, hoping to use it against the Black Heaven, but they failed.

In the end, Can Pao gave Qi Yuan a gift, called the Embryo of Radiance.

"Is this the same world?"

"Or merely two ends of a timeline?"

"Or... is it just that both have forging methods?"

After all, forging methods are not necessarily unique to the world of the Celestial Clan.

And the artifact methods of this realm also came from beyond the heavens.

"This... counts as a good thing."

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

"Am I now a celestial venerable returning to the city?"

"Or a great power reborn five hundred years ago, wielding all the advanced forging methods?"

In the Celestial Kun Strange Land, Qi Yuan had memorized many forging methods, but lacking materials, he had never put them into practice.

He looked at the basic artifact-forging method and began to study it earnestly.

"To forge artifacts, one must awaken the heart flame..."

The method of artifact forging, for Qi Yuan, was both difficult and not.

In the Celestial Kun Strange Land, he had practiced many.

Though the forging methods of this realm had some differences, they all led to the same destination.

Qi Yuan grasped it quickly.

"The path of forging artifacts: the heart flame is the soul.

A blazing fire illuminates the furnace, melting all things.

The heart flame arises from the heart, moves through the dantian, and gestates in the mind..."

"Rise!"

With Qi Yuan's soft command, a faint flame ignited in his heart, burning within his dantian, growing ever stronger.

As Qi Yuan extended his hand, the wisp of flame blazed suddenly in the air.

"Not a celestial art—an interesting flame."

Gazing at this white flame, Qi Yuan felt a hint of curiosity.

In the celestial realm, he could conjure flames with a single Dao technique.

Yet the essence of the two flames differed, as did the principles of their manifestation.

"The world holds many great paths: the celestial path of the immortal realm, the martial path of the Archstar, and here..."

"Old man, go fetch me some materials—say I want to forge artifacts."

Qi Yuan instructed.

Now that the heart flame had emerged, it meant Qi Yuan could forge.

"I need Withered Bamboo of Mystery, Iron Ge Water..." Qi Yuan told Chen Kangbao what he required.

According to the forging methods Qi Yuan had obtained in the Celestial Kun Strange Land, these materials could be used to refine a flying-type artifact.

If Shen Lingxuan ever refused to let him ride, he would ride a flying artifact instead.

But Qi Yuan wasn't sure whether the Shen family had these materials.

If not, he would have to step in, adapt the forging method, and find substitute materials.

"Alright." Chen Kangbao swallowed his steamed bun and went out to gather the materials for Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan continued to temper his heart flame.

The strength of an artifact master was also tied to the vigor of the heart flame.

After all, if the heart flame was too weak, burning only long enough to fry an egg—how could it temper artifacts?

Before Chen Kangbao returned, an uninvited guest arrived in the courtyard.

"Brother-in-law, this is someone from the Enforcement Hall. They've come to ask you a few questions. Just answer casually—no need to be nervous."

Shen Lingfeng entered with a lean, middle-aged man. The man was stern and unsmiling, a Yellow-rank Imperial Weapon Master.

He glanced at Qi Yuan and said softly, "Routine business."

"Go ahead and ask." Qi Yuan had a guess.

Probably, Shen Baiding's body had been discovered.

If it leaked out, it would be quite disadvantageous for Qi Yuan at this moment.

The lean man took out a notebook and a pen.

"When you were in Ninghe County, young master, did you encounter a spectral spirit and have your soul taken?" the lean man asked.

At the same time, a faint glimmer flickered in his eyes, as if checking whether Qi Yuan's soul was intact.

"I encountered a spectral spirit, but my soul wasn't taken. I'm perfectly normal." Qi Yuan replied.

The lean man silently wrote a few lines in his notebook.

"According to observation, the soul is intact.

In Ninghe County, he likely did not have his soul taken by a spectral spirit.

No communication difficulties, mental state normal."

After writing, the lean man continued, "Yesterday morning, did you have a conflict with Shen Baiding?"

"No conflict. I'm just a live-in son-in-law. He wanted to bully me, so I let him bully me." Qi Yuan answered earnestly.

"What, brother-in-law? That bastard wanted to bully you?" Shen Lingfeng exclaimed angrily beside him.

"How did you know, young master, that Shen Baiding wanted to bully you?" the lean man asked.

"Well... actually, I have a superpower—I can hear people's thoughts. I heard Shen Baiding cursing me in his mind, so I knew he wanted to bully me.

I'm a live-in son-in-law—isn't it normal to be bullied?

So I went to him and let him bully me." Qi Yuan replied truthfully, his big eyes sincere.

The lean man was taken aback.

Everything Qi Yuan said seemed simple, yet it left him dizzy.

Forget the superpower?

Why should a live-in son-in-law be bullied as a matter of course, and even go out of his way to be bullied?

He pondered for a moment, then crossed out the "mentally sound" written above and amended it to "thoughts in disarray with strong delusions; presumed not to have been soul-snared, but frightened by a spectral entity, causing severe psychological trauma."

"Last night, Shen Baiding died. He was found dead in his pond. It's suspected someone pushed him in. Young master... was it you?" The gaunt man had already concluded that this matter had nothing to do with Qi Yuan.

Still, he asked as a formality.

"It wasn't me! I didn't push him!" Qi Yuan replied.

Indeed, he hadn't pushed him. Shen Baiding had pinched him, then, like a scheming concubine in a court drama, thrown himself into the pond, intending to frame Qi Yuan.

The gaunt man's pen scratched across the notebook: "Young master, I'm done with my questions. Sorry for the intrusion."

With that, the gaunt man left directly.

Shen Baiding's death reeked of the uncanny. Even when the clan's Earth-rank Weapon Master went to investigate, there was not a single clue.

Such eerie affairs naturally had nothing to do with Qi Yuan, the live-in son-in-law.

If it hadn't been for the public quarrel between Shen Baiding and Qi Yuan the day before, even the questioning would have been spared.

"Brother-in-law, if anyone bullies you from now on, you come to me!" Shen Lingfeng thumped his chest, full of loyalty.

Qi Yuan smiled. "I rather hope someone does bully me. By the way, go ask your mother when she's taking a bath, and remember to call me."

Hearing this, Shen Lingfeng's face grew troubled. "Brother-in-law, I dare not help with this."

He still had some sense, knowing which favors he could do and which he couldn't.

"Tell you what—help me this once, and I'll teach you some new sweet-talk lines to help you pick up girls!" Qi Yuan was making a big sacrifice.

At this, Shen Lingfeng's eyes lit up. "I'll go ask my mother right now! Wait for my good news!"

With that, he dashed off in a flash.

In the courtyard, only Qi Yuan remained.

The sun set in the west, and night fell. Chen Kangbao returned laden with many forging materials, but Qi Yuan never received the good news from Shen Lingfeng.

Shen Lingfeng seemed to have vanished, never coming back.

"It seems the people of the Shen residence don't like bathing either. Sigh."

Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh.

"Time to... forge!"

……

In the Shen residence, Shen Wanshan sat in the seat of honor, his expression grave.

"How... is he?"

Chen Xianwei stood to the side, head bowed. "The young master is quite interested in forging."

He recounted the day's events to the patriarch.

"Does he have talent for forging?" Shen Wanshan asked, his tone laced with complex emotion. "I hope he doesn't let the Qi family's legacy die out."

"Well... the path of a forger is quite intricate. It also depends on whether the young master is willing to study seriously. Talent alone isn't enough." Chen Xianwei spoke euphemistically.

What he wanted to say was: The young master is mad—what use is there in teaching him?

He had spent the whole day teaching only the history of forging, without imparting any real knowledge.

After all, if a madman actually tried to forge, he feared Qi Yuan might awaken his heartfire and, instead of smelting materials, smelt himself first.

Shen Wanshan saw Chen Xianwei's reluctance and promised, "I'll trouble you, Master. If Qi Yuan can forge a Yellow-rank artifact, your salary in the Shen residence will be increased by thirty percent."

"How about... twenty percent?

Thirty percent feels asymmetrical—odd." Chen Xianwei felt that thirty divided by two wasn't an integer, which bothered him.

Shen Wanshan's expression turned strange. "Forty percent."

Hearing this, Chen Xianwei felt much better. Then, recalling something, he suddenly asked, "Patriarch, the young master's father was once a forger. I wonder what his name was—have I heard of him?"

Chen Xianwei was quite curious about Qi Yuan's father's identity.

That Qi Yuan could marry into the Shen residence and wed Shen Lingxuan was likely due to his father's influence.

His father was already dead.

But even so, he had brought Qi Yuan such a great opportunity—he must have been an Earth-rank forger.

But why hadn't Chen Xianwei heard of an Earth-rank forger surnamed Qi?

At Chen Xianwei's question, Shen Wanshan's expression shifted slightly, as if recalling old memories. "His name has been erased. I don't remember it either."

Hearing this, Chen Xianwei's face changed abruptly.

To erase a person's name?

Such a method?

The waters here ran deep.

He knew he could no longer inquire.

……

"Young master, what is this?"

In the courtyard, Chen Kangbao looked at the thing Qi Yuan had forged, his face full of bewilderment.

"This is... a drone." Qi Yuan held the drone, quite pleased.

"It looks a bit like a fly," Chen Kangbao muttered.

"Ahem, I can't forge a big drone yet, so I made a small one."

After getting the materials, Qi Yuan hammered away in a chaotic fashion, and somehow he actually forged a flying-type artifact.

However, since it was his first attempt, the result... well, it was almost like a decoration.

This tiny drone had the power of "ten mosquitoes."

A sheer waste.

After all, by Chen Kangbao's calculations, the materials consumed by this drone could have bought thousands of meat-stuffed buns.

"It's fine—I can improve." Qi Yuan was unconcerned. "To play the role of a divine descent, forging just a drone isn't enough. I need to forge grenades, speakers, flashlights, projectors, cameras, lightsabers...

Using these things to play tricks on people will definitely have a great effect."

Of course, the cameras and such he forged were also of this otherworldly kind.

After all, this world's rules were slightly different from Blue Star's—just forging something didn't make it work.

He had to rely on his ability to see hidden information.

"Aren't we short on money to buy materials? Once I forge some useless artifacts, I can sell them on the black market.

Take the lightsaber, for example—I think it's really interesting. Some show-offs would definitely love it, think it's super cool," Qi Yuan said.

The materials needed for forging were very precious.

Given Qi Yuan's current wealth, he couldn't possibly gather enough forging materials.

He had always been hardworking and didn't want to keep taking materials from the Shen residence.

Moreover, the amount he takes now is small, of little value, and the Shen household doesn’t mind; if it were more and valuable... the Shen household would not give it.

Most importantly, if the Shen household discovered that the magical artifacts he forged were used to play the role of a deity, then... wouldn’t his act of impersonating a god be exposed?

Those drones, and the flashlights and other props, must never be revealed.

Once exposed, the mystery and grandeur of the deity would vanish completely, and he would be nothing but a clown pretending to be a god.

“Young master, hurry up and forge! We’ll sell them for money to buy steamed buns!” Chen Kangbao’s mind was lively, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“...How come it feels like you’re the master, and I’m the one working for you?” Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

But then he remembered that Chen Kangbao could still help him carry the eerie spirits, which counted as some use, so he let it go.

“I’m too short on forging materials. Ah, am I not a kitchen knife? I wonder if I can melt myself down and forge a magical artifact,” Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

The next day, Chen Xianwei taught Qi Yuan as usual, just like the day before.

The content of his lessons was equally simple—in summary, he taught history.

After all, to him, Qi Yuan was a bit mad, so it was better not to teach profound forging techniques for now.

First, he feared Qi Yuan wouldn’t understand.

Second, he feared Qi Yuan might burn himself.

Time passed, and before they knew it, nearly half a month had gone by.

Chen Xianwei looked at himself in the mirror, straightened his collar, and walked out of his courtyard.

As soon as he stepped out, he ran into his “archrival” Wu Zhen.

“Old Chen, hehe, I recently took on a disciple. In just half a month, he awakened his heart flame. I just went to the Forging Hall to exchange some materials for him, letting him get familiar—not forging yet, just melting materials first.”

Wu Zhen spoke with great pride.

Awakening the heart flame in half a month was quite impressive among forgers; if no major issues arose, he had hopes of becoming a Xuan-level forger.

“Not bad,” Chen Xianwei commented casually.

“I saw Qi Yuan at the Forging Hall. I heard he’s now learning forging from you.

I suppose he’s already awakened his heart flame, right? I saw him taking a lot of materials,” Wu Zhen said with a laugh, his tone somewhat sarcastic.

Forging apprentices couldn’t forge, so after awakening the heart flame, the most common task was melting materials.

He naturally didn’t think Qi Yuan had already awakened his heart flame.

He had checked the records of forging materials—on the very first day of learning forging, Qi Yuan had sent someone to the Forging Hall to draw materials.

Clearly, he was probably reselling the forging materials.

Chen Xianwei’s expression shifted slightly, then returned to calm: “He’s the Shen family’s son-in-law; it’s normal for him to take some forging materials.”

He also felt some doubt in his heart.

For the past ten days, he had been teaching Qi Yuan the history of forging.

Qi Yuan listened attentively and raised no objections.

Why did he suddenly take forging materials?

Was he trying to get hands-on?

He had to hurry over, lest Qi Yuan make a mistake in forging—without a master by his side, with no guidance, awakening his heart flame on his own could easily lead to burning himself.

At the same time, Chen Xianwei felt a bit of self-reproach.

He shouldn’t have taught so much history; he should have formally initiated Qi Yuan into the craft.

“I envy you, taking the Shen family’s son-in-law as your student. When you rise to prominence, don’t forget me,” Wu Zhen said with a sarcastic laugh.

He and Chen Xianwei had no real major conflict; this was just the usual “banter” between them.

(End of this chapter)