Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

A few days later, at dusk, the setting sun and the fire in the stove reflected each other, turning the sky a dark red.

From a distance, it appears to be a rare sight, but for the people inside the North Furnace, it is as if they are in purgatory.

The fire crackled, and the smell of iron and burnt metal mingled together, like a layer of lingering, unpleasant odor stuck in the throat, making it impossible to swallow or spit out.

Ye Xiao stood in front of the furnace, his back straight, his feet firmly planted between the hot slag and broken iron, not moving an inch.

The shovel in his hand was lighter than before.

When shoveling, the force line runs straight from the shoulder to the elbow, and then to the wrist and fingers. The slag is turned up and lands neatly with almost no extra splashing.

Breathing in and out, with a steady rhythm.

It's not about deliberately suppressing or forcing yourself, but rather your body finding the most suitable frequency on its own... sinking when it should sink, and relaxing when it should relax.

Many workers around him would glance at him while working, and then quickly look away.

They couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong, but they felt that Ye Xiao standing there was different from before.

It's more stable, and it's also more unsettling to look at.

After shoveling all the iron in a furnace, Ye Xiao stopped his stance and put the shovel back in its original position.

When the foreman saw him step into the furnace, he immediately jogged over, a smile plastered on his face: "Master Ye, here's today's wages."

Ye Xiao took the money bag without saying a word and turned to leave Beilu.

By the time he left the workers' quarters, it was already dark, and fog was slowly creeping up the streets and alleys.

Not far away, a person stood in the fog.

It wasn't blocking the road, nor was it deliberately waiting for someone.

The man stood beside a half-collapsed low wall, as if he were passing by and taking a break. Behind him were piles of wooden boxes and broken baskets, and in front of him was the narrow entrance that was the only way out of the workers' quarters.

He was dressed very casually.

He wore a gray-blue cloth robe with neatly gathered cuffs, and only an old knot tied around his waist, showing no signs of any problem.

But as he stood there, the fog seemed to automatically avoid him by half a step.

Ye Xiao did not stop walking, his gaze only briefly sweeping over the person before he pretended not to see him.

That person spoke first.

The voice wasn't loud, as if it were just a casual remark, but it was just enough for Ye Xiao to hear clearly while others couldn't:

"The smell of the North Furnace is strong, and you were able to stay in there for so long. You're really not an ordinary person."

Ye Xiao paused, turned to look at him, and said calmly:

"People from the Town Guard?"

The man was clearly taken aback, then smiled and didn't deny it:

"How did you figure that out?"

"Your every move is unlike that of someone from the lower city," Ye Xiao said. "And the only upper city force that might be approaching me recently is the Town Guard."

A flicker of interest crossed the man's eyes.

The next moment, he raised his hand and flicked his fingers lightly.

A small wooden plaque flew out with little force, yet landed steadily in Ye Xiao's palm, as if the angle had been calculated beforehand.

The front of the wooden plaque has ordinary wood grain, but the back has a very shallow dark line, as fine as a knife thread, hidden in the wood grain, and almost invisible unless held up to the light.

Ye Xiao wiped his fingertip.

It was exactly the same as the wooden plaque in his hand.

"My name is Lu Xingzhou, and I am the master's deputy."

The man had a faint smile on his face: "I was wondering what kind of promising talents could be found in the lower city that would catch the eye of the town magistrate. Now that I've seen you, I understand a little better."

Ye Xiao's expression remained unchanged, but a slight thought stirred within him.

The deputy envoy was already a figure of real power within the Town Guard. He had originally thought that only the Town Guard would come knocking on his door.

Ye Xiao put away the wooden plaque and asked calmly, "What brings you here?"

"I'm here for two things," Lu Xingzhou said, his tone flat, neither polite nor pretentious: "First, to confirm whether you're qualified."

Ye Xiao remained silent.

Lu Xingzhou continued, "Secondly, you progressed faster than the master expected in the first step of the mission, so the master asked me to give you some things."

He took out a small cloth bag from his sleeve, tied it tightly, as if to prevent moisture from getting in.

Ye Xiao glanced down at it but didn't reach out immediately.

Lu Xingzhou gave a half-smile: "Why not take it?"

"The town envoy said he wouldn't help me, why did he change his mind?" Ye Xiao asked.

"The Town Guard doesn't support idlers, nor does it give them freebies," Lu Xingzhou said. "It's because your work was worthwhile that the magistrate was willing to increase the stakes."

He handed the cloth bag over, gesturing for Ye Xiao to open it.

Ye Xiao opened it directly, and inside were two small porcelain bottles, one red and one blue. The bottles were blank, with only very faint embossing.

"The red bottle protects the bones and suppresses cracks. The green bottle nourishes the tendons and resists internal heat," Lu Xingzhou explained.

"You know the form you developed in the Northern Furnace. Both of these are second-rate medicines, each bottle costs one hundred taels of silver."

"Even for a quasi-martial artist, these two bottles of medicine aren't cheap, but the key is... they're perfect for you."

"Thank you." Ye Xiao did not refuse.

Having chosen this path, this is a reward and a recognition of his efforts. Moreover, this medicine is a timely help for him.

After several days of continuous cultivation in the Northern Furnace, he had run out of medicine, but the fuel needed for his destiny had not been replenished.

"No need to be so polite," Lu Xingzhou waved his hand.

Ye Xiao put the medicine bottle away and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"There's one more thing to remind you, which is something an adult asked me to pass on."

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment and said, "If you don't want your life and death to be in the hands of certain people in the future, then don't participate in the upcoming martial arts examination in the lower city."

After he finished speaking, his gaze shifted slightly, as if observing Ye Xiao's reaction.

Ye Xiao remained calm: "I understand."

"Don't you want to know why?" Lu Xingzhou asked with a smile.

"If she wants me to know, she'll let you tell me," Ye Xiao replied. "Even if I ask her, she won't tell me without her permission."

"You are indeed a smart man. The master and I both have high hopes for you. Don't let us down." Lu Xingzhou smiled, and for the first time, a genuine interest appeared in his eyes.

He was about to leave when he heard Ye Xiao speak:

"There's something else I'd like to ask for your help with."

Lu Xingzhou paused, turned around to look at him: "You're not being polite, just say it."

"Sell one thing," Ye Xiao said. "No matter how much you sell, 10% is yours."

Lu Xingzhou didn't immediately answer: "What are you selling?"

Ye Xiao took out a small box with a thin iron band around its corner.

Lu Xingzhou's gaze sharpened: "Where did you get the Blood Protection Bead?"

Although he didn't open the box, he recognized it at a glance, because it was a box specifically for storing the Blood Protection Beads.

"It was stolen," Ye Xiao replied calmly.

Lu Xingzhou didn't press further, only asking, "Do you know its true use?"

"An essential item for becoming a martial artist," Ye Xiao said.

Lu Xingzhou's eyes twitched slightly, then he lowered his voice:

"If you sell it now, you might not be able to buy it back in the future. Are you sure?"

"I need money," Ye Xiao nodded.

"Aren't you worried I'll embezzle it?" Lu Xingzhou asked with a smile.

"The title of Deputy Envoy of the Town Guard is worth more than this," Ye Xiao said.

Lu Xingzhou looked at him, his smile deepening.

"Interesting lad." He took the box, turned, and left. "Wait for my good news."

Although selling it for 10% wasn't much to him, he never thought the money was too little.

However, the key to his agreement was Ye Xiao himself.