Chapter 259: The Mysterious Woman

"You dare hit me..."

"You dare hit me?!"

The old man in the Tang suit was slow to react; after being stunned for several seconds, he finally snapped out of his daze, and his anger instantly flared up.

Just as he was about to lose his temper, the corner of his eye caught sight of the pure gold peace lock in Ye Lin's hand.

"Eh? Isn't this the 'Peace Year After Year' I specifically forged? How did it end up in your hands?" The old man in the Tang suit looked somewhat bewildered, even forgetting that he had just been slapped across the face by Ye Lin several times.

"You forged this?" Ye Lin was stunned for a moment, then he took out the Illusion Face. "Then what about this?"

"Illusion Face! This is also my work! This thing was crafted from ten-thousand-year celestial silkworm silk; it's extremely rare! There should only be this one in the world!"

"Wait!"

The expression of the old man in the Tang suit suddenly changed, and a flash of killing intent appeared in his eyes.

"Both this 'Peace Year After Year' and the Illusion Face were forged for a good friend of mine. That friend has already passed away; how did these things end up in your hands? Did you rob his grave?"

Ye Lin took a deep breath and jumped down from the old man in the Tang suit.

"So you are the blacksmith friend that Master often mentioned!"

"Master? You are Ye Lin?" The expression of the old man in the Tang suit instantly softened, and he raised an eyebrow. "Zhuge Qianxing often mentioned me? Really? What did he say about me?"

"He... he said you were brilliant and heroic, talented and learned, dashing and elegant, erudite and knowledgeable, and that your conversation was extraordinary..."

Ye Lin was interrupted by the old man in the Tang suit before he could finish his sentence.

"Stop, stop, stop! Quit making things up. There's no way that dog Zhuge Qianxing would praise me; he only ever calls me an idiot! What exactly are you here for?"

"I really am here to help you sell things!"

Fearing the old man in the Tang suit wouldn't believe him, Ye Lin took out the note from the fourth silk pouch and showed it to him.

After reading the note, the old man in the Tang suit felt a bit sentimental.

"It is indeed that dog Zhuge Qianxing's handwriting. No one else can imitate his handwriting."

"Since that's the case, stay and help me watch the shop. That guy was always acting mysterious, even when he was dying."

"Alright, thank you, Boss!"

Ye Lin quickly agreed, then found a cabinet in the center of the shop and placed the peace lock on it.

This way, everyone who entered the shop would surely see this peace lock at first glance.

Over the next few days, Ye Lin let Guo Qin go off to indulge in debauchery, while he stayed in the shop of the old man in the Tang suit, studying his strange and curious jewelry and ornaments.

After spending a few days together, Ye Lin learned that the old man in the Tang suit was named Qiu Xingyuan, and he was a blacksmith in a life-oriented profession.

The items displayed in the shop were all works by Qiu Xingyuan.

Every guest who entered the shop over these few days was, without exception, respectful toward Ye Lin. Some of the people who came even had auras as steady as an abyss, making even the current Ye Lin feel an indescribable pressure.

Of course, Ye Lin wasn't stupid enough to think they were showing him respect; clearly, they were respectful to him because he was working in Qiu Xingyuan's shop!

Therefore, Ye Lin guessed that Qiu Xingyuan was at least a Grandmaster Blacksmith, and very likely a legendary Divine Craftsman!

Much like the Medical Venerable of a Hundred Herbs, those in life-oriented professions only needed to reach the peak level to be treated as honored guests by experts from all sides, even without any combat power.

Don't look down on the Medical Venerable of a Hundred Herbs or Qiu Xingyuan just because they lack combat power; with a single call from such beings, countless experts would be willing to fight for them.

During these few days, Ye Lin also discovered many interesting and practical little gadgets in Qiu Xingyuan's shop.

For example, a small cicada made entirely of clockwork, only the size of a fingernail; after swallowing it, one could autonomously change their voice, with no visible changes on the outside.

Whether it was a loli voice, a young girl's voice, a mature woman's voice, an uncle's voice, or a boyish voice, this mechanical cicada could produce them all. Taking it out was also simple: just clear your throat and spit it out.

Used in conjunction with the Illusion Face, this thing could change not only his appearance but also his voice, definitely taking his disguise skills to the next level.

There were also black robes that could hide one's aura, just like the one worn by Xiao Huohuo; plasters that, when applied, stimulated the bloodline and provided a short-term, small boost to strength attributes; and itching powder that would make an enemy's whole body itch when sprinkled on them.

Qiu Xingyuan's little shop was truly a treasure trove.

To a certain extent, Qiu Xingyuan was an inventor just like Shen Jingbin, except the things Qiu Xingyuan invented were actually useful.

Given the connection through Zhuge Qianxing, Qiu Xingyuan didn't want to take Ye Lin's money for the items, but Ye Lin insisted on paying, and Qiu Xingyuan couldn't stop him.

Time passed day by day, and soon it was Thursday of the second week.

Ye Lin began to grow anxious. Tomorrow was the day the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm would open, and he had to return to the Great Xia Academy to assemble by tomorrow morning.

Yet, until today, that peace lock placed in the most prominent position was still just sitting there quietly.

Although many guests had checked out the peace lock out of curiosity during this time, they left in disappointment once they realized it didn't seem to have any special function.

Ye Lin frowned, but so be it; at least the useful little gadgets he had scavenged from Qiu Xingyuan over these past few days were a significant help to him, and that was enough.

He had asked Qiu Xingyuan why Zhuge Qianxing wanted this peace lock, but Qiu Xingyuan didn't know either.

Perhaps the peace lock really had no special meaning; it was just meant to let Qiu Xingyuan recognize and accept him.

Soon, evening arrived. The orange-red light of the sunset shone through the moss-covered wooden door, spilling onto the various trinkets in the jewelry shop and making them sparkle with dazzling luster.

Ye Lin understood that it might be time for him to leave; after all, he couldn't stay here guarding the shop forever, and participating in the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm was more important.

Just as Ye Lin was about to bid farewell to Qiu Xingyuan, the wind chime at the door suddenly swayed gently, emitting a pleasant tinkling sound.

"Welcome~"

Ye Lin spoke subconsciously, and as he looked up, he saw a woman in a pale purple long dress walking in with light, lotus-like steps. The woman had hair like a waterfall, and the round setting sun seemed to tremble with her footsteps.

At this moment, Ye Lin suddenly understood that lyric by Xu Song.

"The younger sister says purple has a lot of charm~"

Beyond her proud figure, what made Ye Lin unable to look away were the woman's eyes.

The woman's appearance couldn't be considered top-tier; her fair skin paired with ordinary features could only be described as pleasant to look at.

But those eyes were like the finishing touch, elevating her entire temperament by several levels. Her deep blue eyes were like two deep pools, as if hiding endless secrets waiting for someone to explore.

More importantly, the woman's eyes were double-pupiled!