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

"unless……"

Li Qing paused for a moment, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"Unless they have already gotten what they wanted from Lao Zhang."

Or perhaps they handed them over voluntarily.

"That's what I think too."

I nodded.

"In any case, Lao Zhang is currently in a deep coma in the hospital, and the Folklore Bureau has deployed a large number of guards to protect him."

I don't plan to get too involved in this matter for now, to avoid bringing trouble into it.

That makes sense.

Li Qing sat back down on the sofa and picked up the magic sword.

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and after we took down Qiu Feng, the clues to the military seal are now on our shoulders."

We're in the eye of the storm, so we should try to keep a low profile if possible.

By the way, have you found a scabbard for your black knife?

That thing is really fierce and has a bad temper; I can't keep it in its guitar case all the time, can I?

"I called Jin Wanliang at noon."

I replied.

He said that no one in Jiangcheng could take on this job, and he was asking around in the surrounding provinces through his connections.

It depends on luck.

Li Qing nodded and didn't say anything more.

In the following days, Jiangcheng seemed to fall into calm.

That feeling of being spied on never returned. I went to work at the funeral home every day, following the routine, and stitched up those ordinary bodies.

After get off work, I returned to Tingyuxuan and sat cross-legged to meditate amidst Li Qing's tireless gaming, guiding the evil energy within my body through a cycle.

Although the progress was much slower without the aid of the Mysterious Yin Fiend Crystal, the speed of progress was much slower.

But this constant polishing, like water dripping on a stone, actually made my elixir more rounded and solid.

As for the Bureau of Folklore, Lu Yan had not yet sent any news about Lao Zhang waking up.

The timid middle-aged man lay quietly in a special ward at the city's No. 1 Hospital, as if he had become a vegetable.

On the evening of the fifth day, this tranquility was finally broken by a sudden phone call.

The phone call that broke the five-day peace in Jiangcheng was made by Jin Wanliang.

My phone vibrated on the coffee table just as I finished two hours of cross-legged meditation.

The energy core in my dantian circulated very smoothly, and the feeling of fullness and solidity swept away all the fatigue of the past few days.

I picked up my phone, glanced at the caller ID on the screen, and pressed the answer button.

On the sofa not far away, Li Qing was wearing headphones, holding a game controller, and frantically playing a large-scale console game on the TV screen.

Meanwhile, he was also muttering some game-related technical terms from time to time.

These past few days have been peaceful; aside from eating and sleeping, he's spent most of his time playing this newly purchased action game.

I'm a complete homebody.

"Hey, Lao Jin, any news?"

I leaned back on the sofa and asked into the phone.

Jin Wanliang's cheerful voice came through the phone:

"Brother Chen, this matter has really taken me a lot of effort."

In the past few days, I've dug up all those old, trivial relationships and made countless long-distance calls.

Finally, heaven rewards those who persevere; we've found a craftsman willing to take on this job.

Hearing this news, I felt a slight sense of relief.

The sooner I draw the scabbard, the sooner I can put an end to this worry of mine.

"Thank you for your hard work. Which province is the chef from? Is his skill reliable?" I asked casually.

"The craftsmanship is absolutely fine, but..."

Jin Wanliang paused on the other end of the phone, his tone becoming somewhat serious.

"However, he has a rule: he doesn't want money."

The condition the master craftsman offered was that the owner of the knife, that is, you, would do him a favor.

Upon hearing this, I frowned slightly.

In the world of folklore, money is sometimes the least valuable thing.

Moreover, the conditions for doing favors for others can vary greatly.

From small tasks like running errands or delivering messages to big ones like venturing into deep mountains and forests to exorcise demons and protect the righteous, the task can even cost one's life.

"What is it?"

I didn't agree immediately, but cautiously pressed for more details.

"They didn't say that explicitly over the phone."

Jin Wanliang smacked his lips and explained.

"That person has a rather strange temper."

He said that if you are willing to agree to this condition, you have to come to him in person to discuss it in detail.

Moreover, they've already made their statement.

He needs to see your knife for himself and examine the materials you've prepared.

Only then can we definitively determine whether he is capable of performing the task, and specifically what techniques to use.

Upon hearing this, I picked up my phone and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

Having a detailed discussion in person and requesting to see the actual items and materials is a very reasonable request.

Laymen watch the spectacle, experts watch the details.

Forging weapons, especially creating magical scabbards that can bear the aura of yin and evil, is definitely not something that can be done simply by drawing up blueprints with dimensions.

What furnace temperature is needed to melt century-old, cursed iron?

What specific techniques should be used to carve a thousand-year-old piece of ebony wood so as not to destroy its gloomy aura?

Moreover, that black knife is extremely ferocious; if a stranger gets close, it will likely attack and injure them immediately.

If a craftsman has never even seen the blade of a knife or touched the quality of the materials, yet he confidently declares over the phone that he can make them, it's a mistake.

That person is either a reclusive, top-tier expert, or a complete fraud.

Logically speaking, the latter is much more likely.

Moreover, from my perspective, that black knife is of great importance; it can be said to be the strongest offensive weapon I currently possess.

The cold iron and ebony exchanged from the Folklore Bureau's warehouse are even more valuable.

I'm not stupid enough to pack these things up and hand them over to a courier, entrusting them to someone I've never even met.

Therefore, personally carrying the items is a necessary procedure and the safest way.

However, the condition the other party offered—"to do something for him"—made me hesitate.

I'm not afraid of trouble, but I'm afraid of attracting those inexplicable and unwarranted disasters.

After weighing my options for a moment, I asked Jin Wanliang:

"Old Jin, is this guy reliable? Have you checked his background?"

"Don't worry about that. I found the person through a long-time friend I've known for over ten years."

Jin Wanliang made a solemn promise and then went on to explain the other party's background in detail.

"I also checked this person's background while I was at it."

He is considered a well-known figure in the local circles of Hunan Province.

Most importantly, he has a master craftsman. His master was a top forging master who was ranked among the best in the country back then.

Unfortunately, that old man passed away a few years ago.

However, in terms of technology and foundation, it's undoubtedly top-notch.