Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Most Overlooked Person

"Finally, a moment of peace..."

Inside the room, Zhang Rui lay flat on his bed, exhaling a long, deep breath. Ever since he had tampered with his Imperial Examination results using his brush, he had been caught in a whirlwind of events without a single moment to catch his breath. Now, lying on the bed with no outsiders around, he felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion; it felt as if he could fall into a death-like sleep the moment he closed his eyes.

But he knew he could not sleep yet. This brief respite was incredibly precious, and before this whole affair concluded, it might be his last chance to rest.

Zhang Rui sat up at the head of the bed and slowly opened the Thousand-Mechanism Box.

Murong Yunji, standing to the side, peered over with curiosity, clearly wanting to see what was inside the legendary box.

When the box was fully opened, she blinked in surprise. Inside, layers upon layers of blades were spinning, countless shards intersecting and grazing each other, throwing off a flurry of sparks.

"Is the Thousand-Mechanism Box always like this?" Murong Yunji frowned. She felt something was off. When Zhang Rui had hidden that pair of bizarre, living eyes, she had snuck a peek inside; back then, the box had been pitch black, as if some dark liquid were writhing within. It was clearly different this time.

"It changes depending on the circumstances," Zhang Rui sighed. "Only a master artificer can fully command the Thousand-Mechanism Box. As a novice, I naturally cannot master it. I never know what will be inside before I open it; every time, it depends on luck."

"What is different about this?"

"The Thousand-Mechanism Box, as the name implies, contains a thousand mechanical variations. Each corresponds to a different forging method. This current one is the 'Thousand-Edge Forge,' primarily used for cutting. It can slice any material into whatever portions you desire. It seems my luck is quite good to have randomly rolled this..."

"What use is that?" Murong Yunji was stunned. Did that sound useful?

"It is very useful... I'll demonstrate." Zhang Rui smiled and tossed the scroll he had been carrying directly into the box.

In the next instant, the woman in the painting let out a terrified shriek. From her perspective, she was like meat placed on a cutting board, and Zhang Rui, outside the box, was a chef selecting a blade to slice her up.

With a flick of Zhang Rui’s hand, the Painting Spirit was miraculously separated from the scroll!

"The simplest form of cutting," Zhang Rui whispered. "This Painting Spirit can be broken down into many parts. The most basic components are the 'painting' and the 'spirit.' With this single cut, I have completely severed the painting from the spirit." He then took the paper, handed it to Murong Yunji, and said, "Take this. Once separated, it no longer has any connection to the former spirit; it has become a standalone object. The original function of this scroll is to contain things—at most, one person. If we encounter a crisis later, you can store me inside it to help me evacuate. In daily life, I can also store you inside, otherwise, walking around with a child in tow would arouse suspicion."

"You can do that?" Murong Yunji looked at the paper and then at Zhang Rui. "That’s quite convenient. Just how much do you actually know?"

"Let’s save that topic for later." Zhang Rui turned his gaze back to the Thousand-Mechanism Box. The severed Painting Spirit was now trembling with terror, not daring to move. She could feel that the sharp blades around her were incredibly dangerous; the threat they posed to such bizarre entities was comparable to the sun's fire!

"This spirit, given her abilities, can be cut into two parts," Zhang Rui explained as he moved the tools, measuring the space. "First is the most fundamental ability of such a spirit: 'Illustration Attachment.' She can inhabit a scroll to form a portrait of a beauty. Once separated, I can hide inside a scroll during an emergency. If crafted into a tool, this ability can be used many times."

"Second, she has a partial ability to manifest objects from paintings. Of course, she is weak, so her manifestation is limited. For example, if there is a mountain range in a painting, she cannot easily drag that massive landscape into the human world. But she can easily pull out small items like painted birds or trees. It’s not of great use, but it has its minor applications—like keeping a horse or a boat in the painting. It’s always useful in a pinch."

"I see!" Murong Yunji suddenly understood. "This 'Thousand-Edge Forge' can completely dissect the powers of these 'bizarre' entities, allowing you to maximize their utility, right?"

"Exactly. You're very clever!" Zhang Rui smiled immediately.

***

"You aren't... actually trying to coax me like a child, are you?"

Zhang Rui shook his head quickly, and just as he was about to cut the Painting Spirit, she shrieked, "No! You cannot kill me!"

"Turning you into an artifact is not killing you. Besides, why wouldn't I be able to kill you?" Zhang Rui chuckled.

"I know the entrance to the Painting Market!"

"I have no interest in that..." Zhang Rui shook his head. The Painting Market held more crises than opportunities. While being able to integrate its essence into one's own blood might seem useful, for someone like him who could never be a warrior, it held little value. Collecting enough to help his mother and wife extend their lives and stay young was enough; anything more was useless.

"That man surnamed Tian is not dead!!!" The female Painting Spirit, seeing the blade inching closer, shouted this out in a panic.

"Oh..." Zhang Rui calmly selected a tool. "As for that matter... actually, I already know!"

"No... don't!!"

***

"You've arrived?"

The south courtyard of the Yuchi Mansion was originally occupied by the Old Madam. After her passing, the mistress of the house, Lady Yan, moved in. Third Master Luo didn't even hesitate before heading straight for this courtyard.

As he had anticipated, a tall, burly man was sitting at the courtyard entrance, tightly clutching a woman. Facing the moonlight, the scene almost appeared romantic and poetic.

But upon closer inspection, one would realize that the woman in the man's arms had long since gone cold. Although a faint smile still lingered on her lips, she was, in truth, already dead.

"You really are cold-hearted," Third Master Luo said coldly.

"No matter how soft-hearted I am, seeing her in that state... I had to do it." The man looked up. His chiseled features were sharp and aggressive, bearing a resemblance to Yuchi Hong, but far more ferocious—clearly the face of someone forged by years of battlefield slaughter.

It was none other than the number one military figure of the Great Jin Dynasty: Yuchi Peng!

"Old Luo, sit..." The man gestured to the other side of the door. Third Master Luo nodded and sat where he was directed.

"How many years have we known each other?"

"More than forty years, I suppose..." Old Luo smiled. "Our families were lifelong friends, but you were born with extraordinary talent, while I have been frail since childhood, unable to practice martial arts. I originally intended to study for a civil service career, but because of my early disability, I couldn't sit for the exams. From a very young age, I was destined to be a cripple. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have survived those early years."

"I don't see it that way..." The man shook his head. "I have always felt that your ability to persevere back then wasn't because of me. I felt it a long time ago—you would never yield to any disadvantage. With your current reputation as Third Master Luo, even if it weren't for me, Yuchi Peng, you would have achieved your ambitions through someone else."

"You are too modest, Master," Old Luo sighed and shook his head. "Back then, I could only be a bird clinging to a sturdy tree. You, Yuchi Peng, are the finest tree in the world. Add to that our lifelong bond, and to be where I am today... it could only be because of you, Yuchi Peng."

"Is that so?" Yuchi Peng sneered. "And so? Is this how you repay me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind in the courtyard seemed to come to a standstill. The two locked eyes, a gaze so intense that even the birds in the sky dared not approach.

"When did you start suspecting me, Master?"

"Just now..."

"Just now?"

***

Half an hour earlier...

"You said your luck was good; you meant this thing, right?" Murong Yunji picked up the scroll and opened it with a smirk. "Hmm, if I store you in here, I am ninety percent sure I can get you out of Northern Sea. But you don't just want this, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to that Chen Xiao to come here in the first place."

"Coming here, naturally, I want to resolve the matter completely," Zhang Rui said, slowly closing the Thousand-Mechanism Box. "I just didn't expect it to go so smoothly. I had plans for whatever forging method appeared in the Thousand-Mechanism Box, though none would have been as secure as this."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to see Yuchi Peng!"

"Yuchi Peng?" Murong Yunji frowned. "I haven't met that guy. I don't know if I can handle him, but as someone touted as the strongest under the Grandmaster level, his strength must be above Qin Fang's. I can't guarantee your safety against such an expert. You should know that my actual ability isn't as formidable as others think."

"I know that, of course..." Zhang Rui sighed.

Whether it was Qin Fang or Yuchi Hong, both had been intimidated by Murong Yunji’s aura. But Murong Yunji was essentially made of ink and painting; although she had collected quite a bit of ghost blood, it wasn't enough to sustain a war of attrition. Against an expert like Qin Fang, if she couldn't decide the outcome within ten moves, she wouldn't be able to hold on.

"But there’s no other way. Since we decided to take this risk, we have to finish it. And among everyone here, the person most capable of resolving this is Yuchi Peng."

"According to the intelligence you analyzed for others, isn't Yuchi Peng the primary suspect?"

"You know that was just for show..." Zhang Rui said coldly. "On the way here, I heard Chen Xiao talk about the Battle of Youyun twenty years ago. Even then, I thought: three thousand against a hundred thousand—you’d have to be brain-dead to lose. The glory of the Yuchi family is definitely suspicious, but it is certainly not Yuchi Peng. That *thing*... it never inhabits a diseased body!!"

"Have you guessed who it is?"

"The one whom Yuchi Peng sees every single day is not just those on the list. There is one person who, because he has no martial prowess and is not a sorcerer, despite his fame, is the easiest to overlook. But the monster’s best skill is altering one's foundations. If it started twenty years ago, that person now is likely no weaker than any top-tier martial artist..."

As soon as Murong Yunji heard this, she realized who it was.

Third Master Luo!!