I attained sainthood through alchemy on the cliff.

The problem has finally arrived.

It was direct, yet seemingly casual conversation, but it laid bare the two most bizarre aspects of Yang Jin's character—his "faking death and resurrection" and his "rapid acquisition of the Body Refining Realm strength."

Chen Shan narrowed his cloudy eyes, tightened his grip on the pipe slightly, and was about to speak to cover for him.

Yang Jin raised his head, his face still showing that honest and unassuming look, but his eyes held a different kind of complex emotion—the weariness after experiencing calamity, a sense of relief at having avenged his great enemy, and the restraint in the face of someone in a high position.

He took a deep breath, as if recalling unbearable past events, his voice low but clear: "Your Excellency... I am indeed from Heishan'ao. I was harmed by the Sun family that day, but I was lucky enough to survive. It was Master Shi... Old Master Shi was kind-hearted and hid and treated me. Later... I was implicated and killed because of this. I felt unbearable guilt and resentment. When I was desperate, I was fortunate to be taken in by Uncle Chen."

He paused slightly, looked up at Chen Shan, and his eyes welled up with undisguised gratitude and solemnity:

"Uncle Chen had a discerning eye; he saw through my deep-seated hatred and my single-minded desire for revenge. Far from looking down on my recklessness, he imparted all his most treasured martial arts techniques to me. I practiced diligently day and night, never letting my fists or legs leave my hands, even when my bones were about to break, I gritted my teeth and endured it—all these skills were bestowed upon me by Uncle Chen, and they are my reliance for avenging myself and for Lord Shi!"

That day in the mine, seeing my fellow villagers about to be pushed into the fire pit by that pack of jackals, I felt a surge of righteous anger rush to my head. I didn't care about any techniques or rules; I was simply driven by a burning sense of indignation, a desire to fight for what I saw!

Yang Jin's words were sincere and full of youthful passion.

Attributing the strength to "Chen Shan's complete sharing of knowledge" and "a desperate struggle" is the most common, yet also the most difficult, reason to examine deeply.

As for the "resurrection," it was glossed over as "he was lucky to survive and was saved by Master Shi," since the Sun family father and son were already dead at the time, and Master Shi was also dead, so there was no way to verify it.

Shen Qingyun listened quietly, her smile unchanged, but her eyes became even more profound, as if she were carefully savoring every word and every subtle expression in Yang Jin's words.

He didn't expose the truth or press for details, but simply nodded slightly, then looked at the extinguished blacksmith's furnace, as if sighing, "I see. Blacksmithing... is a good profession. Only through countless hammer blows can one become a useful tool. It's like martial arts, and it's like the human heart. Master Chen's ability to recognize and teach people even in the smallest things is truly admirable."

After saying that, he nodded slightly to Chen Shan: "I won't disturb Master Chen's rest any longer."

He then turned around and leisurely returned to the wooden house next door.

The door closed gently, separating the inside from the outside.

Inside the blacksmith's shop, all was quiet.

The last rays of the setting sun slipped through the crack in the door, plunging the room into complete darkness.

Chen Shan slowly sat down on the creaking, broken stool, picked up his pipe, but his hand trembled almost imperceptibly. After a long while, he lit the tobacco, took a deep drag, and the pungent smoke filled the dim light.

Yang Jin stood in the shadows, staring at the tightly closed wooden door, his eyes turning completely cold, like a blade dipped in an icy pool.

"He simply doesn't believe it," Yang Jin thought with certainty. "But he didn't attack immediately. What is he waiting for? Or is he confirming something?"

"Don't panic."

Chen Shan's hoarse voice broke the silence. He exhaled a puff of smoke, and his eyes behind the smoke were unusually calm.

"Since he has seen through your true intentions but hasn't immediately taken action to arrest you, it means there's still room for negotiation. Perhaps he has other plans, or perhaps he has some reservations. In any case, since he hasn't completely broken ties, we still have room to maneuver."

Yang Jin frowned deeply: "What he's after... is nothing more than the Earth Core Fire Lotus or Jade Marrow. The Fire Lotus is gone, and the Jade Marrow... perhaps he guessed I still have some. Or perhaps he wants to find A-Tu through me?"

"Both are possible." Chen Shan tapped his cigarette ash. "But directly interrogating or searching you might not be the best option. Especially now that you're a 'hero,' and the villagers all know that the Jing'an Division has moved in. If he uses force, it will inevitably give others grounds for criticism, which would be detrimental to his and the Jing'an Division's reputation. This person seems easygoing, but he's actually arrogant and values ​​'gentlemanship.' He won't resort to the most unsightly methods unless absolutely necessary."

Yang Jin remained silent.

Chen Shan's analysis was reasonable, but having such a venomous snake lurking nearby was ultimately like walking on thin ice.

"Let's just take it one step at a time," Chen Shan said finally. "He makes a move, we respond. Remember, you are 'Yang Jin,' an ordinary blacksmith apprentice who survived by chance, received my guidance, and now just wants to focus on blacksmithing after taking revenge."

From that day on, Shen Qingyun's behavior became increasingly unpredictable.

He seemed to have really developed an interest in blacksmithing. Every day, he would set aside some time to stroll to the blacksmith's shop, and without saying much, he would just stand quietly to the side and watch Chen Shan and Yang Jin forge iron.

At first, I just watched.

His gaze was focused, fixed on Chen Shan's seemingly simple and repetitive forging movements, which actually contained unique power techniques and rhythms; on the subtle deformation and texture changes of the red-hot iron block under the hammer blows; and on the steam that rose instantly during quenching and the change in the color of the iron block.

After observing for only two or three days, on this day, when Chen Shan took a break, Shen Qingyun suddenly spoke up: "Master Chen, this 'Layered Wave Hammer Technique,' when exerting force, makes the waist and spine surge like waves, with one wave of power rising and falling, layer upon layer, finally penetrating into the core of the iron blank, removing impurities without compromising its toughness. It is indeed exquisite. However, the transition between the seventh and thirteenth hammer blows seems to allow for a slightly smoother flow of qi and blood. In this way, the residual force can be recovered more smoothly, and the start of the next wave of stacking will be three times faster."

Chen Shan's hand, which was gripping the hammer, suddenly froze!

He suddenly looked up, his cloudy eyes fixed on Shen Qingyun, filled with disbelief and horror!

This "Layered Wave Hammer Technique" is the core power generation method of his iron forging secret technique. It looks like ordinary hammering, but it actually conforms to the principle of the circulation of qi and blood in martial arts. It is not taught to anyone but his personal disciples, and he has never fully demonstrated it in front of outsiders!

Shen Qingyun actually managed to see through the key points after only a few days of observation, and was even able to point out subtle obstructions that he himself had not noticed!

This keen eye, this comprehension, this profound understanding of the circulation of Qi and blood... it's simply unbelievable!

Shen Qingyun seemed oblivious to Chen Shan's shock, her face still bearing that calm and composed smile, as if she were merely commenting on a trivial matter.

What made Yang Jin's scalp tingle even more was that a few days later, Shen Qingyun even took matters into her own hands!

Once, Yang Jin was forging a rather complex piece of farm implement. His technique was a little impatient, and his blood circulation was slightly out of sync with the rhythm of his hammer blows.

Shen Qingyun suddenly stepped forward and took the hammer from his hand with remarkable ease.

"The meridians here twist and turn, so you need to wrap the iron with 'silk-reeling force' and work slowly. You can't force it and try to do it all at once." His voice was gentle, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the heavy iron hammer seemed as light as a feather in his hand. It fell down in a strange arc with a soft "clang," but the sound was unusually deep and clear.

Yang Jin's pupils suddenly contracted!

He could clearly feel that Shen Qingyun's hammer blow was not only incredibly precise, but also contained an extremely condensed, gentle yet all-pervasive force that penetrated into the iron blank, instantly straightening out the subtle stress distortions caused by his previous hasty forging!

What level of mastery of strength, materials, and qi and blood is required to achieve this?

Shen Qingyun demonstrated with just one hammer blow before handing the hammer back to the dumbfounded Yang Jin, and said with a smile, "Young Brother Yang is strong and courageous; he's a good prospect. However, blacksmithing is like martial arts training; besides being powerful, one must also understand 'squareness and roundness' and 'pacing'. Master Chen, don't you agree?"

Chen Shan's expression changed several times, finally settling into a complex sigh. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "My lord... your insight is truly remarkable. I admire you."

For the first time, he used the word "admiration" in front of Shen Qingyun.

Yang Jin felt increasingly that Shen Qingyun was unfathomable.

This person is like an iceberg shrouded in mist; you never know what enormous size and sharpness is hidden beneath the surface.

It was afternoon that day.

Yang Jin practiced "Three Strikes to Break the Mountain" alone in the backyard.

After many days of arduous training, he had mastered seven or eight parts of the essence of the first strike, "Stone Splitter." His qi and blood were concentrated in his fist, which could penetrate wood and stone.

At this moment, he was repeatedly practicing the preparation and explosive power of the second strike, "Mountain Crash".

He lowered his waist and stood upright, his feet rooted to the ground. He activated the "Furnace Breathing Technique," his chest rising and falling slightly. His blood and energy slowly gathered in his arms and waist, his muscles bulged slightly, and the stone-like luster under his skin flowed faintly. A heavy, oppressive "momentum," as if a storm was about to break, condensed around him.

Just as his vital energy reached its peak, about to erupt according to the method, and he was about to practice the "Mountain Collapse" strike—

"Pfft..."

A very faint yet perfectly clear sneer came from above the courtyard wall.

Yang Jin's blood and qi surged, almost causing him to lose his breath. He abruptly stopped and looked up in horror.

On the top of the wall of the neighboring courtyard, Shen Qingyun was seen lying down at some point!

He was still wearing that moon-white brocade robe, but now he was resting his chin on his arm, leaning against the roof tiles, completely unladylike. His eyes, as bright as stars, were smiling at him, filled with a playful and... kind of light as if he had seen an interesting toy.

This is a huge and astonishing contrast to his usual gentle and refined image as a noble young man!

"Young Brother Yang," Shen Qingyun's voice carried undisguised laughter, "your 'mountain-collapse' momentum is quite strong; the mountain is about to collapse, but unfortunately..."

He drew out his words, and under Yang Jin's tense gaze, he continued slowly, "Unfortunately, you overdid it. The energy got stuck in a knot at your waist and didn't truly 'come alive.' When you unleashed it like that, the mountain collapsed, but your own kidneys will probably be shaken into a mess. In the Flesh Refining Realm, when Qi and blood enter the flesh, it's all about 'using your arms and fingers as if they were your own,' about 'generating power with a thought.' What you did... well, it's a bit like forcing something out of a tight spot. It's not very elegant, and it's not very effective either."

Yang Jin's face instantly turned bright red, partly from the surging of his blood and the other part from being ashamed by this sudden, almost humiliating, and precise comment!

What alarmed him even more was that Shen Qingyun saw through his practice of "Three Strikes to Break the Mountain" at a glance, and even accurately pointed out the most hidden bottleneck in his practice of "Crushing the Mountain", a bottleneck that he himself vaguely felt was wrong but could not pinpoint precisely!

This guy... how long has he been lying on the wall? How much does he even know about himself?!

Shen Qingyun seemed very satisfied with Yang Jin's reaction, and smiled even more happily, even leisurely swinging her foot that was dangling outside the wall.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just taking a look after my meal to digest." He blinked. "Keep practicing, keep practicing, I'm watching. Oh, by the way, that energy in your lower back, don't force it. Try guiding it with your mind, imagine it flowing like water around that 'knot,' or... just 'dissolve' it. Hmm, you can try it."

After saying that, he actually just lay on the wall, looking like he was going to observe for a long time!

Yang Jin stood there, clenching his fists, his chest heaving violently, staring at the young nobleman on the wall who was smiling like a fox. For a moment, he didn't know whether to continue practicing or turn around and leave.

Sunlight shone on Shen Qingyun's handsome, smiling profile, and also on Yang Jin's stiff, tense body.

The air inside the courtyard seemed to freeze because of this absurd scene.