The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Xiao Fan lifted the curtain and looked at the sky outside the window, thinking to himself. Dark gray clouds hung low, and raindrops fell obliquely to the ground, splashing up tiny droplets. In such weather, there weren't many pedestrians or carriages on the road.

Just as he was about to lower the curtain to look at the pattern on the white silk again, he suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation of spiritual energy that flashed by on the ridge of the field to the left of the carriage.

This fluctuation was very brief and weak. If his cultivation had not been stabilized at the third rank of the Tribulation Realm and he had not maintained his awareness of the array at all times, he would have had a hard time detecting it.

"Elder Gu, stop!"

The carriage stopped. Xiao Fan got out, without an umbrella. In the grass on the other side of the field, something seemed to be wriggling, but there was no sign of life.

A thin black rope emerged from the grass, crossed the ridge of the field, and stretched into the distance. Rain dripped from the rope, barely visible in the dim light.

He followed the rope for a few steps, extending his divine sense outwards along it, and soon discovered that the end of the rope was connected to a spiritual power triggering device buried underground.

Its structure is very simple, consisting of only a thin thread that can transmit spiritual energy, plus a pressure sensor. As soon as someone steps on this thin thread, it will send out an alarm signal and transmit the information to a receiver at a distance.

Someone set up a cordon on the road.

Xiao Fan crouched down and used flames to burn the rope through.

A few wisps of smoke emerged from the broken end, their color tinged with a grayish-purple.

He narrowed his eyes, because the color of this powder was exactly the same as the powder left behind by the pill thief at the treasure appraisal meeting in Crimson Flame City.

It's the same group of people.

He didn't linger, but returned to his carriage and briefly recounted what had happened. "There's an ambush ahead, maybe more than one. Don't move, I'll sneak up from the side."

He took a deep breath and walked along the street-side ditch, where rainwater kept pattering against the withered leaves.

After walking about two hundred steps, a faint breathing sound suddenly came from an old willow tree by the roadside.

Xiao Fan slowed his pace, crossed a ditch, and walked to a willow tree. Looking out through the rain, he saw a figure huddled among the dense branches.

He was draped in a dark gray cloak, which completely enveloped him, leaving only his eyes visible as he peered down at the road below through the gaps in the cloak.

Xiao Fan didn't disturb him. He walked around the willow tree, silently climbed the trunk, and came to within three feet of the man. The man's attention was entirely focused on the official road, and he didn't notice anyone behind him at all.

Xiao Fan slapped him on the shoulder.

The man shuddered, nearly slipping down the tree trunk. Turning his head, he saw a face so close to his own made his pupils shrink.

Xiao Fan raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder, pinning him firmly against the tree. Although he didn't use much force, he was very stable, making it impossible for him to move.

"How many warning lines did you set up along the way?"

The man's lips trembled as he tried to call for help, but Xiao Fan held his hand down.

A flash of silver light appeared between Xiao Fan's fingers, and a silver arc of electricity shot out from the Thunderfire Token, striking the man's neck.

"Three," he replied. "There are two places ahead, one under the ditch bridge, and the other behind an abandoned stone mill on the fork in the road ahead. The other three are lying in ambush on the slope near the fork."

Xiao Fan withdrew his hand. The man was lying on the tree trunk, panting heavily. He didn't ask any more questions, silently slid down from the willow tree, and after landing on the ground, walked forward along the sewer.

Sure enough, a small ditch appeared ahead, with a dilapidated blue stone bridge over it. The second rope was buried in the shadow of the bridge arch.

He used the same trick again, burning the rope and continuing on. Sure enough, the abandoned stone mill lay overturned on the grass by the roadside, and the third rope was right under the millstone.

After clearing away the three cordons, Xiao Fan didn't disturb the three people. Without a signal, they would definitely become suspicious, but by the time he arrived, he probably wouldn't be able to get anything out of them.

He climbed onto the carriage and rode off. When he reached the crossroads, he neither slowed down nor looked around.

Yu Guangzhong noticed the grass behind the earthen slope rustling, but the carriage sped past, leaving behind rainwater and mud that quickly covered all traces.

Gu Yuan sat in the carriage, lifted a corner of the curtain, looked at the fork in the road, and murmured, "Are we going to have to take a detour?"

"They set up cordons to detect situations in advance. Now that all three cordons have been cut off, the people making the contact will definitely not show themselves again."

Xiao Fan drove the car onto a relatively narrow road. "It's a long detour, and although it will take an extra day, it's safer."

The carriage traveled further and further along the muddy path, the rain obscuring the road behind them.

Back in Danta, it was already freezing cold outside.

The ginkgo trees in the yard have all shed their leaves, and a layer of frost has formed on their branches.

Han Fei had already lit charcoal in the courtyard. Seeing the carriage arrive, he immediately went to greet it, asking if the journey was pleasant and if there had been any problems. Gu Yuan hung his raincoat on the balcony, sighed, and said, "But we avoided them all."

After saying that, Han Fei went to the kitchen to heat up the food.

Xiao Fan returned to his room, changed into clean clothes, then took out the white handkerchief from his pocket, spread it on the table, and carefully examined the blueprint by the firelight.

From the Burning Bone Abyss to the capital's array eye, this spiritual path stretches for a thousand miles, with five or six natural ley lines converging along the way. Each of these places has a valve, indicating its usage and maintenance schedule.

He wrote down every word, and then used charcoal to write down his understanding and inferences along the edge of the white silk.

For the next few days, he stayed in the Pill Tower, spending most of his time studying the cultivation techniques of the Burning Bone Abyss.

The numerical charts on the white silk gave him a more macroscopic understanding of the logic of the entire system, while the scattered jade slips and ancient manuscripts continued to supplement and verify it.

He often sits for most of the day, occasionally getting up to stretch and open the window to let in some fresh air, when snowflakes are already falling outside.

It snowed on the third day, and the courtyard was already covered with a thick layer of snow. Early in the morning, Han Fei got up very early and swept the snow. The broom made a crunching sound as it rubbed against the bluestone ground.

Xiao Fan sat by the window, opened a notebook he had just copied, and was about to organize his thoughts when Old Zhao, the doorman, came through the snow, carrying several envelopes sealed with sealing wax.

"Young Master Xiao, an urgent letter has arrived from the capital, saying that it must be delivered to you personally."