Yin Yang Soul Searcher

Inside the Craftsmen's Hall.

Cheng Yanbing stood beside the alchemy furnace, his hands covering his head, scratching his messy hair incessantly. His entire face was blackened by the soot from the furnace.

After Bai Jueming explained the steelmaking method to him, he immediately returned to the Craftsmen's Hall and began refining steel without stopping. It was already past midnight.

"Failed again? What's the right temperature setting?" Cheng Yanbing looked pained, her heart beginning to waver. Was Bai Jueming's method reliable?

Iron-containing ore and charcoal are placed together in a furnace and heated at a specific temperature.

Cheng Yanbing picked up a piece of iron ore with his right hand and a piece of charcoal with his left, then threw them into the alchemy furnace. He then carefully recalled what Bai Jueming had said.

Then the bloomery iron is heated in charcoal fire for a long time, allowing it to absorb the carbon in the charcoal fire, increasing its carbon content, and thus turning it into steel.

...Another sleepless night.

The room where Cheng Yanbing was currently located contained over twenty alchemy furnaces of various sizes. He was simultaneously multitasking, manipulating the temperature and time of multiple furnaces as they refined steel...

Cheng Yanbing took out the newly forged, irregular steel embryo and, after it cooled, took out a longsword. The longsword was nothing special; it was an ordinary weapon that every soldier of the Great Xia Dynasty was equipped with.

Countless iron ore and charcoal have been wasted, and the refining process has been repeated countless times. If this attempt still fails, it can only mean that Bai Jueming's method is incorrect.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yanbing's usually expressionless face revealed a look of pain. His hand holding the sword trembled slightly. This night had been too painful, and it had taken a huge toll on him.

Then Cheng Yanbing raised his sword and slashed at the embryo with the force of the soldiers' clashes.

With a clang, the iron sword in Cheng Yanbing's hand trembled slightly.

Then, Cheng Yanbing's bloodshot eyes lit up, and the weariness on her face vanished: "That voice! There's hope!"

He quickly raised the sword to examine the notch, noticing a slight nick in the blade. Then he looked at the embryo—completely undamaged!

"It's done! I've succeeded! Hahahaha!" Cheng Yanbing could no longer contain his excitement and burst into laughter.

...

The next day, the sky brightened.

Bai Jueming woke up from his dream of a 180-square-meter bed and adjusted the trajectory of his bullet. He felt a pang of emotion; youth is truly wonderful.

Then he picked up the purse in his arms and counted the silver inside; not a single coin was missing.

I'll give these silver notes to my eldest sister so she doesn't have to go to work and has to get up early every day. I can't just retire directly; whether it's the mystery of my identity or Chu Jiangyuan who isn't quite dead, these are all potential problems.

It's best not to leave this backing until you're strong enough to protect yourself. Even if you are strong enough, you probably won't be able to leave anyway. Onmyoji must be under the control of the Onmyo Palace, but they can be sent to other provinces. The emperor is far away, so as long as you don't do anything wrong, you'll be fine.

Let's set a small goal for ourselves first: become the Master of the Yin-Yang Hall, Dangdang.

Bai Jueming got dressed and went to the courtyard, only to find that his older sister and Xiao Tang had already left for work. There was still a bowl of porridge and some pickled vegetables in the kitchen. The fish he brought back last night hadn't been eaten; his older sister was probably saving it for dinner.

Not a buddy? This woman starts work earlier than me? I was even thinking of giving her money so she wouldn't have to work. Those evil capitalists!

Bai Jueming had no choice but to hide his purse first. After finishing breakfast, he set off for the Yin-Yang Palace.

Zhou Dahai and his two companions arrived late at the platform and inquired about Bai Jueming's situation yesterday.

"How's it going? Have you found out who's behind this?" Zhou Dahai nudged Bai Jueming's arm. Wang Pang and Wu Yuan also came over.

"It's not that easy. After much discussion yesterday..." Bai Jueming shook his head, then counted on his fingers, "The mastermind could be: a Beichen Yin-Yang Master, a Xishu Four Seasons Master, an unknown wild Yin-Yang Master, an unknown formation master..."

"Stop, stop, stop." Zhou Dahai raised his hand to interrupt Bai Jueming: "Are we talking about the same thing? Where did so many people come from behind the explosion at the South Gate?"

Bai Jueming had no choice but to briefly explain the analysis of the case to them, including not only the bombing but also the fight between the demon race and the Four Seasons Masters in the street...

"This is really not a case we can figure out." After a long while, Zhou Dahai finally managed to utter this sentence.

Wu Yuan and Wang Pang, who considered themselves mere tools for solving cases, were completely overwhelmed. Asking them to use their Yin-Yang Master abilities to ask questions was one thing, but asking them to analyze this kind of case was really asking too much of them...

After everyone had finished their roll call, the gathering dispersed. Bai Jueming was just about to return to his room to cultivate when he saw someone finally arrive late.

The newcomer was handsome, with delicate eyebrows and long eyes. It was Jia Qingshan. He had changed his previous aristocratic attire and was now dressed in what he considered to be commoner clothes. The priceless folding fan in his hand had also been replaced with one worth only a few hundred taels... After all, a bodyguard can't dress better than his employer.

Jia Qingshan jogged over to Bai Jueming's side: "Sorry, sorry, I'm late."

"You're late on your very first day at the Yin-Yang Palace?" Bai Jueming asked. "What are you so busy with?"

"I had finished getting ready early today, but all my clothes were too conspicuous and didn't look like what a thug should wear. So I had someone go out and buy me some civilian clothes, which is why I'm so late."

After explaining, Jia Qingshan patted his sleeves and smiled brightly: "How do I look in this outfit?"

Bai Jueming reached out and felt the fabric of Jia Qingshan's clothes, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "How much?"

"Only two hundred taels." Jia Qingshan smiled.

"..." Bai Jueming.

Only two hundred taels... Aside from the color, which makes this outfit look like something an ordinary person would wear, the quality and price are hardly what you'd expect from someone who doesn't own clothes. My entire year's salary isn't even as expensive as one of your outfits...

Bai Jueming led Jia Qingshan to his office, where Han Xueshan was already cultivating.

Bai Jueming briefly introduced the two men to each other: one was an outstanding disciple of the Mountain Tiger Temple, and the other was the successor to the Prince of Yu Nan. Both were of higher status than himself...

But! You all have to serve me, an ordinary citizen.

Bai Jueming smiled at the two of them: "I hope you two will cooperate sincerely in the future and be responsible for protecting my safety."

Han Xueshan greeted Jia Qingshan, then rolled her eyes at Bai Jueming without saying a word.

They didn't give me, their boss, any face at all...

"No problem, Brother Bai. From now on, you tell me who to beat, and I'll beat them." Jia Qingshan looked excited, waving his fists, eager to try.

As a second-generation rich kid, his transition to a new identity was so smooth, without any discomfort whatsoever. It's like a rich kid going to experience life at the grassroots level... Looks like this guy has suffered before.

Thinking of this, Bai Jueming asked, "Brother Jia, what is your cultivation level?"

"I'm a fifth-rank martial artist, Brother Bai. Is my cultivation level too low?" Jia Qingshan frowned. If that was the case, he would have to hire a group of martial artists to wait outside Zhengshan Hall and protect Bai Jueming when they went on missions...

Good heavens, Brother Shan, as a hall master, is only at the fifth rank of cultivation, while this rich second-generation has a higher cultivation than Han Xueshan?

Their backgrounds are impressive enough, but their cultivation levels are so high? Damn, I'm starting to feel useless... I have neither a powerful background nor any real cultivation...

"Fifth-grade cultivation is already quite high; I'm only sixth-grade," Han Xueshan reminded her.

Bai Jueming nodded: "Your cultivation is sufficient. I didn't expect that Brother Jia, as the only son of the Prince of Yu Nan, would still be able to practice martial arts so diligently. It's truly remarkable."

"This is also due to my father's strict supervision. He gave me medicinal baths from a young age and spent a fortune hiring martial arts masters to guide my cultivation. That's how I achieved my current level of skill."

Jia Qingshan smiled and said, "After all, I'm the only male in the family. Only with good health can I inherit the family business, right?"

That's the power of money... Lemon Cup.

The following time was relatively boring, so Bai Jueming and Han Xueshan stayed in their room to cultivate. Jia Qingshan went to report to Li Zhengshan and, under the guidance of a minor official, went through a series of trivial tasks such as registration.

Bai Jueming vowed to cultivate diligently, and it wasn't until noon that he emerged from his meditative state. Feeling the slight increase in his soul power, a hint of satisfaction appeared on Bai Jueming's face.

Cultivation isn't that difficult. The important thing is to calm your mind and take one step at a time, like an ox plowing the field.

Bai Jueming sensed that if he persisted in his cultivation for a few more days, he could try to advance his cultivation level.

After all, what is an insurmountable barrier for others simply does not exist for me.

Thinking about it this way, Bai Jueming smiled and felt much more at ease, feeling that he was also a chosen one.

Just then, Jia Qingshan entered, tapping his folding fan in his hand: "It's my first day at the Yin-Yang Palace, and I've finished all the chores. Let me invite you two to dinner. I hope you'll take good care of me in the future."

Bai Jueming got up and stretched his shoulders, thinking to himself, "You really know how to cultivate relationships." He then called Han Xueshan over, and they went out onto the street together.

Led by Jia Qingshan, the three arrived at a restaurant near the south of the city.

The restaurant had three floors, and its exterior wasn't particularly luxurious. This gave Bai Jueming the feeling that he could afford to go.

It was lunchtime, and the lobby on the first floor was bustling with activity.

The waiter, wearing a sweat towel, bustled between the kitchen and the dining tables. The manager, behind him, fiddled with an abacus; business was booming, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"The food at this restaurant is unique; everyone, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, can find a cuisine that suits their budget," Jia Qingshan explained to the two men.

Then the innkeeper chimed in: "The best private room, the best food and drinks. Hurry up."

The innkeeper's face was beaming with joy as he personally led the three to a private room upstairs and presented them with a pot of wine.

After the shopkeeper left, Jia Qingshan smelled the wine and showed a disgusted expression: "They have the nerve to serve such cheap wine."

Three taels of silver for wine? Is that cheap? Bai Jueming didn't know what to say.

The three of them were in the top floor of the restaurant. Bai Jueming walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside. From here, he could clearly see the huge gap in the south city wall.

Jia Qingshan opened his folding fan, looking quite dashing, and walked to Bai Jueming's side, both looking towards the distant south gate: "Brother Bai, what's the situation with the explosion at the south gate?"

Bai Jueming looked him over with a half-smile, but didn't say anything. Wasn't Jia Qingshan deliberately bringing him to this restaurant near the South Gate precisely because of this?

Seeing his smile, Jia Qingshan realized his little scheme had been exposed. He could only gently wave his folding fan to slightly conceal his embarrassment.

I only learned about the explosion at the South Gate yesterday. When I first heard the news, I was shocked. Who was so bold as to come here and cause trouble?

However, given that he was being held under house arrest in the capital by the Imperial Advisor, Jia Qingshan felt it was best not to inquire about matters that didn't concern him.

But things are different now. Now that I've joined the Yin-Yang Palace, I'm already the Grand Preceptor's lackey, so there's nothing wrong with asking around.

After a moment, Bai Jueming said, "Someone lured away the general at the south gate, then blew up the south gate and stole the gunpowder inside."

Jia Qingshan looked quite surprised and quickly asked, "Has the culprit been found? Who is so bold as to cause trouble in the capital!"

"How difficult it is to find the murderer!" Bai Jueming leaned against the window and sighed. "An unknown Onmyoji erased the souls of those soldiers, making it impossible for Onmyoji to search their souls. So the case is currently at a standstill."

"It's that serious?" Jia Qingshan stopped fanning himself with his folding fan, thought for a moment, and then said, "This must have been done by the Onmyoji from Beichen. After all, besides our Great Xia, only Beichen can produce Onmyoji."

Bai Jueming shook his head and remained silent. If only things were as simple as he described. Too many forces were involved: an unknown Yin-Yang Master, the two powerful figures from Haifeng who had been lured away, an unknown formation master...

Everyone has their own purpose, and no one knows what they want to do.