Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

Qiu Sheng pouted as he watched Lin Chen walk away.

The town's general store.

Old Sun was using an abacus when he saw Lin Chen come in, so he put the abacus down.

"Young Master Lin, what would you like to buy?"

"Three packets of cinnabar powder, two jugs of black dog blood, and twenty catties of raw glutinous rice."

"Alright." Old Sun turned around and went to get something from the shelf.

Lin Chen waited by the counter, glancing across the street.

The window on the second floor of Widow Zhang's Inn was open. That was Zhao Si's room.

"Young Master Lin, everything is ready." Old Sun piled the items on the counter.

Lin Chen paid the money and put the items into a cloth bag.

"By the way," Old Sun lowered his voice, "that Zhao Si hasn't left the house all day."

"Okay." Lin Chen nodded. "Keep an eye on it."

"Alright."

Lin Chen walked back with the cloth bag on his back. When he passed Wang's blacksmith shop, Old Wang was forging iron.

"Uncle Wang," Lin Chen greeted.

"Oh, Young Master Lin," Old Wang stopped what he was doing, "Making something again?"

"No." Lin Chen shook his head. "Excuse me, do you have any scrap iron?"

"Yes, we have them," Old Wang pointed to the corner, "That whole pile is it. How many do you want?"

Lin Chen walked over and rummaged through it a couple of times. It was all ordinary iron.

"Never mind, I don't want it."

"Okay." Old Wang didn't mind and continued forging his iron.

Lin Chen left the blacksmith shop and headed towards the mortuary.

Halfway there, Lin Chen noticed some movement behind him.

He stopped and looked back towards the east end of the town.

The windows on the second floor of the inn were closed.

It was open just now.

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and continued walking back.

Back at the mortuary, Master Four Eyes was polishing the Crimson Thunder Sword in the courtyard.

"Have you finished shopping?"

"Hmm." Lin Chen put down the cloth bag. "Where is my senior uncle?"

"In the side room," said Master Four Eyes. "He's studying that box."

Lin Chen walked to the door of the side room and knocked.

"Come in," Uncle Nine's voice came from outside.

Lin Chen pushed open the door.

There was a small table in the side room, and the iron box was still placed on the gold-plated board.

Uncle Nine was holding a compass and measuring directions.

"Have you found anything?" Lin Chen asked.

"Yes." Uncle Nine put down the compass. "The runes on this box have a unique feature. It's not just a simple seal; it's more like a container."

"container?"

"Yes." Uncle Nine pointed to the runes on the surface of the box. "Look at these lines. They're not used to lock the contents inside, but to maintain balance."

Lin Chen took a closer look. The runes were coiled in circles, indeed resembling a bottomless net.

"So, the contents inside need this container to exist stably?"

"That's right." Uncle Nine nodded. "Once the box is opened, the contents will either scatter or go out of control."

Lin Chen thought for a moment. "What about the other box that Zhao Si sent to the provincial capital?"

"It should be the same," Uncle Nine said. "So the employer didn't take this box to open it."

"It's for transportation," Lin Chen continued.

"Yes," Uncle Nine said. "They're going to send the box somewhere. As for where it's going or what it's for, we don't know."

Lin Chen looked at the box.

Three days later, I will go to the provincial capital with Zhao Si to find out who the employer is.

Aunt Zhe cooked a table full of dishes for dinner.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai ate with smacking mouths. Mao Shan Ming didn't stand on ceremony either, burying his head in his rice and shoveling it down.

Uncle Jiu took a couple of bites and put down his chopsticks. "Starting tomorrow, Qiu Sheng and Lin Chen, make preparations. We'll leave for the provincial capital the day after tomorrow."

Qiu Sheng was taken aback. "So fast?"

"Yes," Uncle Nine said. "Zhao Si is leaving the day after tomorrow. You should go there a day in advance to familiarize yourselves with the terrain."

"What about me?" Wencai raised his hand.

"You stay at the mortuary." Uncle Nine glared at him. "Stay put."

Wen Cai continued eating with a long face.

Lin Chen didn't say anything and just kept eating his rice.

After the meal, Lin Chen returned to the east wing to nurture the lightning-struck wooden sword.

The raw amber stone was pressed against the blade, and warmth seeped into it.

After an hour, the red light on the sword's body brightened.

Lin Chen sheathed his sword and stood by the window to look outside.

The moon hangs in the sky, and it looks rather round.

It was pitch black in the direction of the back mountain. The White-browed Immortal hadn't come down.

Just as Lin Chen was about to close the window, his spiritual power detected movement to the east.

Inn.

That surge of magical power returned.

Better than last time.

What is Zhao Si doing?

Lin Chen climbed out of the mortuary through the window.

Following the Maoshan Seven Star Steps, we passed through several alleys.

Blankets left to dry during the day were still hanging on the low wall in the backyard of the inn.

Lin Chen leaped and climbed onto the top of the wall.

There was no one in the yard.

He landed and looked up at the second floor, close to the wall.

Candlelight shone through the window of the middle room.

Lin Chen released his mental energy.

Zhao Si sat in the room with the iron box in front of him.

He made a hand seal with both hands and muttered something.

Waves of magical energy emanated from it.

Is Zhao Si communicating with the box?

After a while, Zhao Si stopped what he was doing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and put the box into the bamboo basket.

Lin Chen didn't move. He wanted to see what Zhao Si would do next.

Zhao Si sat in the room for a while, then suddenly got up and walked out.

Lin Chen retreated to the shadows in the corner.

Zhao Si left the backyard, turned into the alley, and headed out of town.

Lin Chen followed.

The two walked one after the other across half the town.

Zhao Si stopped at the entrance of the town, looked around, and then disappeared into the woods by the roadside.

Lin Chen hid behind a tree and watched as Zhao Si took out a yellow talisman from his pocket.

Blood Talisman.

It's the same type we used during the day in the back mountain.

Zhao Si lit the blood talisman, and the talisman burned into a wisp of blue smoke in mid-air.

The wisp of smoke drifted southwest and quickly dissipated.

Zhao Si carefully put the remaining talismans away and turned to walk back.

Lin Chen didn't move, and only came out from behind the tree after everyone had walked far away.

Zhao Si is delivering a message.

The employer is in the southwest direction.

Lin Chen returned to the mortuary before dawn.

He climbed through the window into the room, took off his outer robe, and lay down.

Zhao Si sent a message to his employer, explaining that the employer was already aware of the transaction scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

This trip to the provincial capital won't be peaceful.

I need to tell Uncle Jiu tomorrow.

---

After daybreak, Lin Chen told Uncle Jiu about what happened last night.

Uncle Nine listened without saying anything, and then took out a rubbing of the Red Bone Notes.

"Is the employer in the southwest?"

"Yes," Lin Chen said, "the smoke is drifting in the southwest."

Uncle Nine turned to the page with the Yin Meridian Distribution Map. "Southwest direction..." He traced a line on the map with his finger, "The Ruins of Return are deep in the southwest. But the provincial capital is also in the southwest."

"It could also be in a more distant place," Uncle Nine said. "The blood talisman can transmit messages up to five hundred miles away."

Lin Chen nodded. "Anyway, we'll find out by following Zhao Si the day after tomorrow."

"Hmm." Uncle Nine closed the rubbing. "You and Qiu Sheng should carry more talismans. In case you run into a tough opponent, don't fight head-on."

"I know."

Lin Chen turned and went out.

Qiu Sheng was tidying up his things in the yard. One bundle was stuffed full.

"Why are you carrying so much?" Lin Chen asked.

"It's better to be prepared," Qiu Sheng chuckled. "What if we end up staying in the provincial capital for a few days?"

Lin Chen shook his head. "Don't bring too much. It'll be a burden."

"Oh." Qiu Sheng took out a few more pieces of clothing from his bundle.

Lin Chen returned to his room to check his equipment.

Lightning-struck wooden sword, fifteen Five Thunder Talismans, ten Fiery Talismans, eight Corpse-Suppressing Talismans, two Qi-Replenishing Pills, one packet of Cinnabar Powder, one small pot of Black Dog Blood, and three catties of glutinous rice.

The two golden light shield talismans were hidden close to the body.

enough.

Mao Shanming's voice came from outside the window.

"Senior brothers, when are you coming back?"

"I don't know," Qiu Sheng said. "It could take three to five days, or half a month."

"It would be so boring for me to be alone in the mortuary."

"You also have literary talent."

"All Wencai does is sleep."

Lin Chen listened to their bickering, packed his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed out to the main hall.

Uncle Nine is giving instructions to Aunt Sugarcane.

"Four Eyes and I will be stationed at the mortuary. I'll keep an eye on that iron box. You just need to take good care of the evil infant jar."

"I understand," Aunt Zhe replied.

When Uncle Nine saw Lin Chen enter, he asked, "Is everything ready?"

"alright."

"Then let's set off first thing tomorrow morning," Uncle Nine said. "Once we get to the provincial capital, let's find an inn to stay in. We'll move on once Zhao Si arrives."

"clear."

Lin Chen turned and went back to his room.

At midnight, the system settlement popped up.

No fights today, no attribute points.

Lin Chen glanced at the panel.

[Realm: Master (Mid-Stage Peak)]

Almost broke through.

Once this matter in the provincial capital is resolved, we should be able to move on to the later stages.

We should set off tomorrow.