Chapter 80: Unbearable

The stepmother sighed with obvious relief upon seeing him return safely.

Xu Yuan handed over the two pieces of jewelry he had chosen: a gold hairpin and a silver bracelet.

The stepmother became somewhat happy; this boy had good taste, and the styles he chose were all beautiful.

Xu Yuan, of course, dared not say that these two pieces of jewelry were chosen to match those worn by the sister ghosts of the Plum Blossom Pool.

"Tomorrow I will go with the Purification Bureau to Qihetai..."

As soon as Xu Yuan spoke while the stepmother was in a good mood, Lin Wanmo's willow eyebrows shot up... but she held back, deflated, and said: "Fine, I cannot stop you anyway."

She went into her room and brought out a small cart that looked like a toy.

Half a foot long, with two wheels, yet it had a cart but no horse.

"Take it."

Xu Yuan accepted it with a beaming smile—but the instant it touched his hand, he suddenly felt that this tiny object possessed an unbearable weight.

Thud!

The toy cart dropped straight down, pulling Xu Yuan face-first onto the ground, his hand still pinned beneath the cart.

The two stared at each other; Xu Yuan forced a somewhat ugly smile and said: "Lin Wanmo, if you don't want me to go, you don't need to nail me to the ground like this."

The stepmother quickly picked up the small cart; Xu Yuan brushed the dust off his clothes and stood up. The stepmother asked: "Bring out all the artificer-made objects on your person."

Xu Yuan brought them all out.

Umbrella, three-eyed fire pistol, small knife, Divine Engine Crossbow, red-wood and brass ear-cover, bamboo cage, and the lifting gun.

The lifting gun had been refined into an artificer pill, and the bamboo cage was already severely damaged.

The stepmother took a look and would absolutely not admit that she had forgotten the Divine Engine Crossbow and the lifting gun.

"There are too many things; you cannot bear them."

The stepmother took out the bamboo cage and the Divine Engine Crossbow, then opened the umbrella; seeing several holes on the canopy, she took that out as well.

"That's enough." The stepmother handed the small cart back to Xu Yuan.

This time, Xu Yuan held it in his hand without any problem.

The stepmother said: "Your life-weight has probably reached its limit; do not recklessly collect those improper artificer objects outside, or you will be eaten by them!"

Every "artificer object" has its own "weight."

If the combined weight of the artificer objects exceeds the cultivator's "life-weight," one cannot bear those artificer objects.

Just like Xu Yuan just now; if one cannot bear them, one cannot lift them.

In fact, if the combined weight of the artificer objects exceeds half of the cultivator's life-weight, one is already somewhat "unstable."

When using the artificer objects, they will secretly "eat the master."

Whether flesh or soul, they will quietly bite off a piece!

If the combined weight of the artificer objects is very close to the life-weight, they might truly devour the master completely in one go.

Therefore, even an artificer cannot use artificer objects infinitely; one will always pay some price, more or less.

As for exactly how many pounds and ounces one's own "life-weight" is, most cultivators only have a vague concept.

Only a life-cultivator can weigh the life-weight.

But Xu Yuan cannot weigh it now; one must be at least Seventh Grade to have this ability.

Most cultivators do not have the connections to hire a Seventh Grade life-cultivator to weigh their worth; most simply try using artificer objects—if one cannot lift them, that means one cannot bear them.

And most cultivators actually do not need to worry about life-weight, because they do not possess that many artificer objects anyway.

To increase one's own "life-weight," there are two paths: first, improve one's own level; second... serve as an official in the imperial court.

Once one becomes an official, one's life becomes noble and naturally heavier.

But Xu Yuan was puzzled in his heart: "The total weight of my artificer objects should have long exceeded half of my life-weight; why have I never been eaten by them?"

Suddenly he remembered: the last time he used the red-wood and brass ear-cover, that artificer object seemed unwilling to be removed... perhaps it wanted to bite a piece of my ear?

Xu Yuan suddenly understood: "It is because of 'No Taboos'."

This is also one of the characteristics of this fate pattern; even if the weight of the artificer objects far exceeds half of Xu Yuan's life-weight, they are so hungry they drool but dare not steal a bite.

The stepmother added one more warning: "Be careful in all things! If it really doesn't work, just run back; this alley can always protect you completely."

That night, Xu Yuan refined this small cart into a Longzhu Waidan.

It is convenient to carry and can be deployed unexpectedly, but it still must be calculated within the "weight."

A Rank Dan Xiu can seal and refine ghost soldiers, artificer creations, spells, and so on into Longzhu Waidan.

The prerequisite is that you must have them.

If one wishes to seal spells or a Wu Xiu strike, the practitioner must cooperate fully.

The newly refined "artificer pill" was turbid and dim; one could see something inside, yet could not clearly make out what exactly was there.

The Yin Pills Xu Yuan had refined before, as well as Wu Haishan's Evil Spider Pill, were all like this.

Those few Yin Pills were even more bizarre; if someone stared intently trying to see clearly what was inside, they would inevitably see terrifying scenes of living corpses attacking or vengeful ghosts seeking life, and they themselves would be the ones attacked or sought.

Xu Yuan had heard his father say that one must reach Sixth Grade or above to condense crystal-clear Longzhu Waidan.

Before that, only the Golden Pills were bright and brilliant; even Inner Pills were often dull and gray.

Xu Yuan shifted his mind, the Longzhu Waidan shattered, and the cart appeared before Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan familiarized himself with it and smiled, muttering to himself: "This object condenses all of the stepmother's whimsical ideas!"

In an instant, the cart automatically disassembled!

A pair of wheels rolled to Xu Yuan's feet; Xu Yuan urged them with the fire in his belly, the wheels spun wildly, and flames flowed!

It was just like stepping onto a pair of Wind and Fire Wheels.

Xu Yuan had previously exhausted the "Soaring Clouds" and "Riding the Wind" calligraphy copies he had swiped from Elder Qiao; the wheels perfectly filled the gap.

The shaft was pulled out, revealing a great spear.

Xu Yuan gave it a couple of shakes in his hand; the weight and length were perfectly suited, and something was hidden within the spear's body.

The remaining carriage compartment functioned like the previous bamboo cage, yet was even superior!

The superiority lay in this: when reassembled into a carriage, the compartment was unbreakable.

Sitting inside the compartment, Xu Yuan used Fu Zhong Huo to drive the wheels, turning it into a war chariot capable of charging recklessly!

One becomes three, three become one.

After integration, the weight of this craft artifact should be reduced.

The stepmother had truly put thought into it.

Satisfied, Xu Yuan put away the new craft pill, cultivated the Five Cauldrons Boiling Art for another hour until the skin in his belly was half-refined, and only then slept.

……

In the morning, Xu Yuan glanced at the almanac; today's prohibitions were:

Approaching rivers, traveling at night, burying the dead, and shouting at the mountains.

The stepmother had already prepared breakfast; after eating, she handed him a cloth bag: "Dried rations prepared for you..."

"This isn't necessary," Xu Yuan said. "Going out with the Filth-Dispelling Bureau, how could my food and drink be lacking?"

The stepmother chattered on: "When a son travels a thousand li, a mother worries..."

Xu Yuan quickly hoisted it onto his back; you'd better shut up.

"Ah Yuan." Aunt Wang's voice sounded in the courtyard; Xu Yuan came out to see that Grandpa Shen and Uncle Mao Si had also arrived.

Aunt Wang rummaged inside her own belly and handed Xu Yuan an object: "Take this with you."

Xu Yuan took a look; it was Aunt Wang's spleen, and he was startled: "That's hardly necessary..."

"Take it." Aunt Wang brooked no refusal, so Xu Yuan had to accept it.

Relatives ate dinner in the evening and returned late.





(End of this chapter)