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

"Master Huo, it's settled then."

Brother Chen, it may take two or three days to prepare the materials. During this time, you should rest and recuperate.

Once the materials arrive, we'll start work immediately.

As for the labor cost, rest assured, you will be absolutely satisfied; not a penny less will be charged.

Jin Wanliang skillfully delivered polite remarks, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

"Hmph, at least you, Fatty Jin, know what's good for you."

Old Huo took the cigarette, took a puff, and a smile appeared on his face.

Everything was settled, and we didn't choose to stay here any longer.

After all, the temperature inside the blacksmith's shop was really too high, and it felt stuffy after a while.

I walked over, put the black knife back into the guitar case, zipped it up, and slung it over my shoulder.

"Mr. Huo, we'll take our leave now."

I'll bother you again once the materials arrive.

I greeted them politely.

"Go ahead, remember, the ingredients must be top-notch!"

Old Huo waved his hand and turned to fiddle with his purple clay teapot again.

Li Qing, Jin Wanliang, and I turned around and prepared to walk towards the blacksmith's shop.

Just then, the door we came in through was suddenly knocked on from the outside.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The knocking wasn't particularly loud; it was simply a dull, forceful sound.

Hearing the sudden knock on the door, Li Qing and Jin Wanliang turned their heads slightly and looked towards the doorway.

The burly man with his shirt off put down his work, strode to the iron gate, and reached out to pull open the bolt.

"Creak—"

The iron gate was pulled open, and the night breeze blew in through the crack, dispelling some of the heat in the workshop.

I looked up and saw several people standing outside the door.

However, I was slightly surprised when I saw the face of the leader.

It was actually Fang He?

When Fang He saw the burly man who opened the door, he was about to speak and identify himself when his gaze went over the man's broad shoulders and landed right next to me, Li Qing, and Jin Wanliang, who were standing by the anvil.

He was visibly taken aback, a look of surprise appearing on his previously serious face.

"Consultant Chen? Consultant Li?"

Fang He stepped into the blacksmith shop, looking at us with some surprise.

"What brings you all here so late at night?"

I looked at Fang He and the other special operations team members behind him who also looked surprised, smiled, and replied casually:

"I have a magical artifact that has run into a problem, and I need to find a reliable craftsman to fix it."

Boss Jin has many connections, so he recommended Master Huo's place.

Master Fang, it's so late and you're still leading the team on fieldwork. You must be working very hard.

Fang He nodded knowingly upon hearing this.

He knew my abilities and that I had a lot of good stuff.

It's perfectly normal to seek out the best blacksmith in Jiangcheng to repair magical artifacts.

"It's my duty, there's no other way."

Fang He gave a wry smile and reached out to rub his slightly swollen temples.

"After taking samples from the funeral home this morning, the bureau has been comparing them."

Sure enough, as soon as they got a glimmer of hope, they rushed over without stopping.

After giving us a brief greeting, Fang He turned his attention to Old Man Huo, who was sitting in a rattan chair.

He stepped forward, took out his ID from his jacket pocket, flashed it in front of Old Man Huo, and his attitude was polite but also showed a serious, businesslike demeanor.

"Hello, Master Huo, I am Fang He from the Special Task Force of Jiangcheng Folk Customs Bureau."

Fang He put away his identification and got straight to the point.

"I'm bothering you so late because I have a case I'd like to ask you about."

Old Man Huo sat in the rattan chair, still holding the purple clay teapot in his hand.

He glanced at Fang He, showing no particular respect despite the other's official status, and simply gave a faint snort:

"People from the Folklore Bureau? My blacksmith shop doesn't steal or rob; I make a living entirely through my skills."

"Why are you consulting an old blacksmith like me when you're handling cases?"

Upon hearing this, Fang He was not annoyed. He took out a tablet computer from his briefcase, pulled up a photo, and handed it to Old Man Huo.

"Master Huo, you are a senior figure in Jiangcheng's forging industry, with top-notch vision and knowledge."

Fang He pointed to the photo on the screen and said in a sincere tone.

"We are tracking down an evil cultivator, and we have followed his aura all the way to the vicinity of the old street in the north of the city."

According to the clues we have, this heretical cultivator possesses a very special weapon.

"Look, does this thing remind you of anything?"

I stood to the side, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the content on the tablet screen.

It was a slightly blurry photo, obviously taken from a surveillance camera or dashcam.

In the photo, a figure wearing a black raincoat is standing in the rain, holding a short stick about half a meter long in his hand.

At the top of the short stick is carved a ferocious beast's head.

This is the very weapon that the evil cultivator was holding, which I saw in the flashback footage this morning when I was stitching up the body that had sunk in the reservoir.

Old Huo's previously nonchalant gaze suddenly froze the moment it fell on the photograph.

He put down the purple clay teapot in his hand and leaned forward slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Old Man Huo's face turned extremely ugly, and his originally rosy complexion was instantly shrouded in gloom.

Fang He keenly sensed the change in Old Man Huo's emotions. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he knew he had found the right person.

So he continued by asking:

"Master Huo, judging from your reaction, you not only recognize this weapon, but you are also very familiar with it."

What exactly is this thing?

Or rather... was it your work?

Seeing this, I turned my head and winked at Jin Wanliang and Li Qing beside me.

Now that the matter has been settled and the folklore bureau has come to investigate, there is even less reason to stay any longer.

Jin Wanliang is a shrewd and cunning person, while Li Qing, though seemingly carefree, is absolutely decisive when it matters.

The two of them immediately understood what I was saying when they saw the signal in their eyes.

"Captain Fang, since you have official business to attend to, we won't bother you any longer."

I tightened my guitar bag on my back and said to Fang He.

"We wish you a speedy resolution to the case; we'll be going now."

Fang He's attention was entirely focused on Old Man Huo at that moment. Hearing my words, he turned his head and said:

"Consultant Chen, take care. I'll invite you all for tea after this case is closed."

"Mr. Huo, we'll take our leave now. I'll get the materials sorted out as soon as possible."

I greeted Old Man Huo again.

Old Huo's mind was clearly no longer on the scabbard; he merely waved his hand somewhat irritably in response.

The three of us didn't linger any longer. We turned around and walked out of the blacksmith's shop, closing the iron door behind us.

Afterwards, we walked back to where we parked, opened the car door, and got in.

Jin Wanliang started the car, skillfully turned the steering wheel, and the Mercedes-Benz drove out of the abandoned factory area, merging back into the night of Jiangcheng.