Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

The evening breeze turned in from the end of Qingshi Lane, carrying a hint of watery dampness, but it wasn't strong. The lane was kept clean, and even the sound of the wind seemed to be suppressed by rules, leaving only a layer of coldness when it reached the courtyard gate.

There were also guards walking around in the alley.

When Ye Xiao returned home, he was holding a piece of cured meat in his hand. In the shadows at the end of the alley, a shadowy figure leaned against the wall.

Yan Quan stood very still, like a piece of iron pressed in the shadows. The black patterns on his black sleeves were hidden in the most inconspicuous place at the cuff. As soon as Ye Xiao's gaze fell on him, he moved silently and approached him.

"Is it all taken care of?" Ye Xiao asked.

Yan Quan lowered his voice: "I was warned according to the rules... I apologized and paid a thousandfold compensation, not a penny less."

Ye Xiao hummed in agreement and didn't ask any further questions. For that family, money was more important than anything else, and this compensation was enough to make them feel both financially and emotionally pained.

Yan Quan added, "As instructed by the master, we did not send them to our door. They were instructed to deliver all the written apologies and compensation directly to me."

After saying that, he handed over a cloth bag.

The cloth bag was heavy, with copper coins and loose silver mixed together, making a dull thud as they bumped against each other.

A neatly folded roll of paper was tucked into the edge of the bag; it didn't have many words on it.

Ye Xiao took the cloth bag, gathered his sleeves, and casually tucked the rolled-up paper into them, saying indifferently, "You go back first."

Yan Quan nodded, turned and left, his shadow disappearing in a flash.

Ye Xiao pushed open the door and entered the courtyard.

The firewood inside was burning brightly, and warmth enveloped the room. Xiaoxue wasn't fully awake yet. She turned over in bed, and before even opening her eyes, she peeked out with her nose, like a little animal smelling food.

"Brother..." she mumbled, her voice soft and sticky.

Ye Xiao walked very quietly: "I'm back."

The mother peeked out from the kitchen, her hands still wet. Seeing the cloth bag, she smiled and asked, "Did you buy some food?"

Ye Xiao placed the cloth bag directly on the cleanest spot on the table, his tone as calm as if he were discussing an ordinary account: "What they owed has been returned, and they even gave more compensation."

The mother paused, her eyes instantly reddening. She reached out to touch the cloth bag, but then, as if afraid of breaking it, her fingertips trembled slightly, stopping just half an inch away.

"Is it really them?" she asked cautiously.

Ye Xiao simply nodded.

The mother clutched the hem of her apron, her eyes swirling like a tangled thread in the wind: "I...I knew it...even the worst person will still have feelings for family."

Ye Xiao looked at her, but didn't expose her or say anything more.

What a mother needs is not reason, but the will to keep going.

Ye Xiao pushed the cloth bag towards her and said in a softer voice, "The days ahead will only get better."

Her mother's hand trembled slightly, as if the phrase "getting better and better" had eased the weight that had been pressing on her heart for so long. She hurriedly wiped her eyes and said "good" repeatedly, but still dared not actually open the cloth bag.

Xiaoxue was fully awake now. She sat up, hugged the blanket, stared at the cured meat, swallowed, and then quickly remembered something. She pursed her lips and pretended to be obedient: "Mom, eat first. I'm not greedy."

The corners of her mother's eyes curved slightly.

Ye Xiao raised his hand and ruffled her little head: "Just say you're craving something sweet."

Xiaoxue's face flushed, but she remained stubborn and muttered softly, "I didn't."

Before she could finish speaking, her stomach let out a loud rumble.

The mother couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Xiaoxue immediately pulled the blanket up, revealing a pair of wide-eyed stares.

The tense atmosphere in the room immediately eased considerably.

Ye Xiao then seemed to remember something, and took out a small packet of oil paper from the inside of his coat. The oil paper was still warm, and he casually placed it in front of Xiao Xue.

Xiaoxue was taken aback, her nose twitched first, and then her eyes lit up: "Candied hawthorn?!"

The cluster of bright red fruit flickered in the firelight, as if making the days in the room even brighter.

The mother was stunned, and hurriedly said, "Xiao'er, this is such a waste."

Ye Xiao didn't explain, only saying calmly, "It won't cost much, and Xiaoxue likes it."

The mother paused, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent. Life was indeed better now, but deep down, she still felt a sense of unreality and fear.

Xiaoxue hugged the candied hawthorn, first she was so happy she was silly, then she subconsciously tightened her grip, as if afraid it would slip away from her palm.

She took a bite, and the candy made a crisp "crunch," instantly filling her mouth with sweetness.

Unlike last time, she didn't say she would only eat one and save the others, but she still ate them exceptionally slowly, as if she wanted to hide that little bit of sweetness in her stomach, so that it would still be there tomorrow.

Ye Xiao glanced at her and said softly, "Eat if you want, don't worry about it."

Xiaoxue froze, looked up at him, a little sugar residue still stuck to the corner of her mouth, but her eyes shone brightly, as if she had heard some very big permission.

She nodded vigorously, mumbled an "Mmm," and then took a second bite. It was still slow, but she wasn't as tense as before, and she ate with more enjoyment.

Ye Xiao then pulled the roll of paper from his sleeve and handed it to his mother: "There's also this."

The mother was taken aback, then took it and unfolded it.

The note contained only a few lines, the gist of which was an admission of wrongdoing, an apology, and a promise not to visit again or cause any more trouble.

She read down line by line, and when she saw the word "guarantee," her fingertips unconsciously pressed the corner of the paper. When she saw "no more reckless behavior," her fingers paused, as if they had been gently pricked by those four words.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she had finally exhaled the breath that had been choking her, and she murmured repeatedly, "That's good...that's good."

Xiaoxue, biting into a candied hawthorn, peeked out to look.

The mother quickly folded the paper, gently patted the corner of her blanket, and said in a tone that was both coaxing and protective, "Children don't need to look at these things, just eat your candied hawthorn."

Xiaoxue said "Oh," then lowered her head and took another bite, the sound of the candy making a crisp sound.

The mother tucked the paper inside her apron, pressing it down with her palm through the fabric for a long time, as if holding onto a hard-won sense of security.

……

Ye Xiao pushed open the door and went out. The wind in Qing Shi Alley was cold and orderly, and it didn't sting when it fell on people.

He walked steadily, even though night had just fallen.

When he arrived at the North Furnace, the figures at the entrance of the furnace fell silent for a moment, and then all lowered their eyes.

The foreman and the veteran workers didn't dare to look at him for long, and no one came up to talk to him, because Ye Xiao's status was different now.

Although some people wanted to curry favor, they gave up their ideas after remembering what they had said to Ye Xiao before and the gap between them.

At night, the North Furnace seems even more like a living thing.

A chilling sensation rose from the miasma well along the edge of the furnace, colliding with the dark red flames burning in the furnace chamber. The alternation of hot and cold felt like repeatedly soaking and baking human bones.

Ye Xiao didn't say a word, but first set up the stake.

He didn't move his feet, his breathing rising and falling in sync with the breathing of the Crimson Blood Stake. The impact of cold and heat and miasma still seeped into his bones, but it didn't make him tremble as before.

Then he picked up the shovel and practiced martial arts skillfully while working.

The firelight cast a stark contrast of light and shadow on his profile, and a heat that seeped into his bones crept up inch by inch—not a comfortable heat, but a heat that forced you to peel away the old skin and pound your muscles and bones anew.

Despite this, Ye Xiao's breathing rhythm remained steady and smooth, ensuring that each breath was fully realized.