What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

Tiangong didn't seem to mind that I didn't say anything.

He turned around and walked to a dilapidated wooden shelf against the wall, rummaging through a pile of dusty metal parts and scraps of wood for a while.

With a series of clattering sounds, he seemed to have touched something and casually tossed it toward me.

"And then, consider it an extra bonus."

I instinctively raised my hand and caught the object steadily.

Upon opening my palm, I saw a dark red wooden safety buckle, only the size of a copper coin.

The wood felt slightly cool to the touch, its surface was polished very smooth, and it had a faint pine scent.

If you look closely, there seems to be a very fine trace of charred black mixed in deep within the wood grain.

"Senior, what is this?" I looked at him with some confusion.

"A button made from a scrap of lightning-struck wood."

Tiangong explained slowly, patting the dust off his hands.

"Although you have formed your core, it has only been a short time, and the evil aura on your body is not yet perfectly contained."

It's fine if you encounter ordinary people or ordinary evil cultivators, but if you run into those old monsters with keen senses, they can smell the fierce aura on you from a long distance.

These buttons aren't very useful; they just help to conceal your aura.

Carry it with you at all times; it will save you a lot of trouble.

Hearing this, my heart stirred slightly.

This thing is really useful to me.

My current baleful aura has merged with the true dragon's essence. Although its power has greatly increased, the faint dragon's might and domineering aura can sometimes attract attention.

Putting aside others, just take my meeting with Tiangong as an example. He seemed to be able to see at a glance that my murderous aura contained a domineering presence.

With this lightning-struck wood safety amulet, I can better conceal my true strength.

"Thank you very much, Senior Tiangong."

I thanked them and didn't refuse, then casually put the safety buckle into my inner pocket.

"Alright, we've finished our official business."

Tiangong tucked the pipe back into his waistband, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat casual.

"Now, it's time to take care of some personal matters."

Upon hearing the words "private matter," I paused for a moment, a sense of doubt rising in my mind.

I've only met Tiangong twice, and we've exchanged no more than twenty sentences in total.

Aside from work-related interactions, I really can't think of any private matters we could possibly have to discuss.

"The personal matter you mentioned, senior, is..." I asked tentatively.

Tian Gong chuckled twice, reached out and touched his sparse stubble on his chin, and said, "Actually, it's nothing serious."

I met up with an old friend for lunch and we had a couple of drinks together.

But honestly, it's really boring for just the two of us old men to stare at each other.

I think your temperament is just to my liking, and you're easygoing and don't annoy people. Why don't you come with me and we can have a drink together?

His words deepened my doubts.

What kind of reason is that?

There were so many young staff members in the General Administration compound; Zhao Mingxuan was just waiting outside.

If he's bored, he can just ask someone to keep him company, right?

Why would he suddenly drag me, an unofficial consultant who just came from out of town, to his private drinking party?

This sudden enthusiasm made me instinctively feel that something was amiss.

I've always been a cautious person, and I usually don't like to participate in dinner parties where I'm unsure of the situation.

"Senior, I'm afraid this is inappropriate."

I maintained a calm tone and politely declined.

"I don't usually drink much. If you're having a gathering with your old friends, I'm afraid my presence as a junior might spoil your fun."

"Ugh, stop with the nonsense!"

Tiangong didn't give me a chance to refuse any further. He walked up to me and grabbed my arm.

"If you can't drink alcohol, just drink tea. It's not a big deal."

"Let's go, the food's probably getting cold."

Tian Gong has great strength in his hands; his seemingly thin body contains a tremendous power.

He half-pushed, half-pulled me, and led me straight out of the testing room.

Since things had come to this point, and given his authoritative demeanor, it would seem ungrateful of me to force my way out.

After all... you're beholden to someone who gives you a bribe.

I could only smile helplessly and follow his lead as he pulled me out, while secretly becoming more vigilant.

After leaving that gray building, Tiangong led me along a winding, tree-lined path leading to the back entrance.

The landscaping here is excellent, with tall locust and pine trees on both sides.

Even at midday, the sunlight is cut into dappled patches by the dense canopy of trees, making it very cool to walk on.

Along the way, Tiangong didn't say much, but hummed an unknown Peking Opera tune, seemingly in a very good mood.

After walking for about ten minutes, we arrived at a secluded residential compound.

The architectural style here is completely different from that of the office area in front.

They are all single-story houses with their own small courtyards. They look quite old, with green ivy climbing all over the walls, exuding a strong sense of life.

Tiangong skillfully pushed open the wooden door of one of the courtyards and led me inside.

The yard wasn't big, but it was kept very clean.

A grape trellis stood in the corner, its lush green leaves providing ample shade.

Beneath the grape trellis, there was an old stone table and several stone stools.

At this moment, several simple snacks were already laid out on the stone table: a plate of sliced ​​braised beef, a plate of smashed cucumber, a dish of fried peanuts, and a plate of cold seaweed salad.

The dishes were very home-style, without any delicacies.

Beside the stone table sat an elderly man dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit.

Hearing us enter, the old man slowly raised his head.

His hair was completely white, meticulously combed, and his face was deeply wrinkled, bearing the marks of time.

Although he didn't look particularly robust, and was even somewhat thin, he sat there with his back ramrod straight, like an old pine tree rooted in the rocks.

"Old Lin, are you getting impatient?"

I was dealing with a small problem up ahead, which caused a slight delay.

Tiangong walked over casually, pulled out a stone bench, and sat down.

Then he casually picked up a bottle of unlabeled liquor from the table and opened it.

Then, Tiangong pointed at me with the finger holding the wine bottle and casually introduced me:

"This is Lao Lin. He used to work at the General Administration, but he's retired and staying at home now."

"Old Lin, this is Chen Yang, a young man from Jiangcheng. His temperament is quite to my liking, so I brought him over for a meal."

The introduction by Tiangong was very brief, making no mention of my identity as a corpse stitcher, nor of the matter of appraising the stone tablet earlier.

The old man, known as "Old Lin," simply nodded slightly.

He glanced at me, his eyes calm, showing neither enthusiasm nor indifference.

"Sit down, young man," Old Lin said in a low voice.