Chapter 149: Four-Leaf Claw Totem?

Once again.

Lan Qingyou knew her own limits.

She understood that even though she had studied Symbology and could be considered proficient from frequently drawing one-time Alchemy Arrays...

...she was still far behind an Enchanter like Star, also known as Ruan Qingyi, who dealt with enchanting and symbols all day long.

Since she could not decipher it herself, sharing it for a collective brainstorming session was a viable option.

Magician: "What is this?"

Sure enough, shortly after Lan Qingyou sent the picture, the group chat responded.

Emperor: "Could this be something you found in the Abandoned Ruins?"

As one of the only two people in Tarot Manor who knew about the little white mouse, Gu Xiaobei did not mention it and instead asked very tactfully.

Framing it this way was harmless, and at the very least, it wouldn't expose the items in Lan Qingyou's possession.

Tower: "Yes."

Moon: "You reached the ruins? How are things on Sherlock's end?"

Tower: "Took him out, just now. Blew him up."

Lan Qingyou didn't hide it. After all, Sherlock was technically one of Shang Chuan's major clients, as well as her own. Now that he had been eliminated, she naturally had to inform her partner.

This way, Shang Chuan could adjust his commercial strategies accordingly.

Moon: "Alright, in that case, you should be out of danger over there."

Knowing what the Abandoned Ruins were like, Shang Chuan did not bother asking for the details of Sherlock's demise.

Probing into it would be terribly tactless, or in layman's terms, severely lacking in emotional intelligence.

Shang Chuan would never do something so foolish.

Losing a major client was certainly a blow, but it didn't mean Sherlock's former faction was completely uprooted. At most, a single unified power would splinter into multiple factions.

Even though the number of contacts would increase, such a chaotic situation offered the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

No, it would be more accurate to say that this might allow him to seize even greater profits.

Having made up his mind, Shang Chuan replied briefly and then ignored the manor's group chat. He didn't ask about the symbol, opting instead to contact Sherlock's former subordinates to grasp the situation.

Lan Qingyou was incredibly formidable, but no matter how strong she was, she couldn't possibly annihilate ten to twenty thousand people all by herself.

As long as people remained, he could keep the business running.

Star: "Although this pattern looks simple, it's truly not complicated at all."

Magician: "...Saying that is exactly the same as saying nothing at all."

Tower: "It's definitely not complicated, but the problem is I can't decipher it. I don't even have a starting point."

Lan Qingyou couldn't be bothered with Ruan Qingyi's nonsense and stated her difficulties.

Star: "The sequencing! For this kind of compound symbol, can't you just look at the sequence?"

Tower: "The sequence just makes it look like a claw."

...Star was speechless.

Star: "Why couldn't it be a totem?"

Lan Qingyou paused.

She understood what a totem was, but how did the topic shift to that?

Star: "No matter how you look at it, this has to be the totem of some race or tribe. It perfectly fits the definition of a totem."

Tower: "The definition of a totem?"

Star: "A tribal symbol, usually utilizing animals, plants, or natural phenomena as a medium to represent kinship, ancestors, beliefs, or guardian deities."

Star: "Look at the Dragon Totem, the Azure Wolf Totem, or the White Deer Totem. Aren't they all like that?"

Spot on!

Prompted by Ruan Qingyi, Lan Qingyou finally realized the truth.

Come to think of it, a totem was highly likely.

Staring down at the claw shape formed by four leaves, Lan Qingyou frowned slightly.

This claw was actually quite massive.

Located right in the center of the hall, it took up about a quarter of the floor space.

If it were the totem of a certain tribe, engraving it here to assert ownership of these items would make perfect sense.

See? Her omnipotent group members had provided a new perspective.

Tower: "@Magician, do you still have any of those sealing spheres that came out of the Fettered Treasure Chests back then?"

Now that she had a lead, Lan Qingyou immediately kept it to herself, pivoting the conversation in an entirely different direction.

The only reason she asked this was for the sake of those Humanoid Magic Puppets.

To be honest, her biggest haul this time was those puppets, but there were simply too many varieties of these Humanoid Magic Puppets.

If it weren't for her Herb Pouch, it would have been quite difficult for Lan Qingyou to collect them all.

But even so, there were still a few dozen units she couldn't fit inside.

Therefore, Lan Qingyou instantly thought of the sealing spheres.

Magician: "What are you talking about? I figured out how to make those things ages ago."

Tower: "Then why haven't you put them up for sale?"

Magician: "How could I possibly sell half-finished products that disappear after a single use? I still have some dignity, you know."

Questioned by Lan Qingyou, the Magician instantly leaped to his own defense.

Are you kidding? One might insult his looks, but never his technical skills.

It was merely a simple sealing technique. How could he possibly not know it?

However, he had no idea just how much damage these self-vindicating words inflicted on a certain Alchemist who loved selling half-finished products.

'Fine, I admit I do like selling half-finished goods, but can you really blame me?'

'Isn't it entirely because I lacked the proper tools?'

'Just you wait. When I get back this time, I'm throwing away those damn soup pots and replacing them with my newly acquired Crucible.'

'Once everything I produce is an outstanding, finished product, I can quietly discard this title of the Alchemist who loves selling half-finished goods.'

At that thought, Lan Qingyou decided to pack up and head home. She had to brew a batch of Potions right this instant—immediately.

Once her competitive spirit flared up, Lan Qingyou simply couldn't rein it in.

She was just about to fly out when she was stopped by the cries of Little Spoon, who was dangling from a steel wire ball.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

Uh...

Watching Little Spoon chirp wildly, Lan Qingyou's burning urgency immediately cooled down.

What was Little Spoon?

A Treasure Hunting Rat!

The moment she tried to leave, it started screeching. Didn't that mean there was still some precious treasure she hadn't taken?

Little Spoon was an excellent magical beast for finding things that slipped through the cracks.

Now completely calm, Lan Qingyou carried her storm lantern and did a sweep around the entire hall.

And found absolutely nothing.

Everything worth taking had been cleared out. She hadn't left behind so much as a rusty screw, nor were there any hidden doors.

After all, what hidden passage could escape the gaze of her Appraisal Glasses?

How strange. What exactly was Little Spoon trying to warn her about?

Lan Qingyou looked at the little creature in confusion, only to see it still squawking and struggling wildly.

Frowning, she scanned her surroundings once more.

This place was incredibly spacious. Even if she let Little Spoon go, it probably wouldn't be able to outrun the steel wire ball.